Homecoming
by Fish and Chipz
Summary: AU. With a lack of career choice due to his 'No-Good' grades, Tsuna becomes a Prison Officer in the Melone Reformatory where its prisoners are mafioso sentenced for life. What happens when one begins to show interest in him? TYL. 27ALL. Discontinued
1. Welcome to the Reformatory

This is one crazy idea but I do not know what exactly compelled me to write this chapter, it is** AU and boys x boys love**. They are their **TYL **selves. While the mafia world of KHR is still somewhat the same, some roles have been changed slightly, **half of the KHR cast are either inmates** (LOL), **or Prison Staff**. I have never written shounen-ai before, and I apologise for any OOC.

**Summary:** AU. With a lack of career choice due to his 'No-good' grades, Tsuna enlists among the ranks as a Prison Officer in the peculiar Melone Reformatory where its prisoners are mafia criminals sentenced for life. But what happens when one begins to show interest in him?

**Diclaimer:** Do not own KHR

**Homecoming**

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It was Tsuna's first day of work and he was feeling nauseous, courtesy of his breakfast that consisted of egg and beans on toast, and a glass of cold milk. It tasted nice, but now it was just haunting his stomach and the back of his throat with an unpleasant and sour, piquant taste.

He had never felt car-sick, but now his head was throbbing and he clutched on the railings of the bus tightly; he had poked his head out of the open window and gasped in and out as a vain attempt for fresh air even though the weather outside was pouring down heavy rain and crashing thunder. Remembering how he had been forced to wake up at the ungodly hour of four am, just to drag himself out of his comfortable, idyllic bed and wash himself, wash his face, wash behind his ears and clean his teeth and get dressed, before trudging downstairs to face his mother who was grieving incessantly into her handkerchief about Tsu-chan's First Job before whipping out a camera to take an endless list of pictures of him in his white shirt and black trousers – the only thing the poor boy could only muster out a weak groan.

Blatantly speaking, the Melone Reformatory had not been his first, nor his ideal, choice of career path.

Firstly, his father had been against it because it was a prison, designed to keep the most notorious and dangerous criminals within high walls and steel-enforced doors. Second, it was so far away from his hometown of Namimori so he would have to accommodate himself with the living quarters they provided for staff and hopefully adjust; he had also been on the coach for an hour and a half and there was still apparently no sign of the ominous building looming into view over the horizon of the road. Third, he would no longer be able to see his childhood crush, Sasagawa Kyoko, who was pursuing a career in law. And fourth, and final one, Tsuna simply did not want to become a Prison Officer in the first place. But then again, what choice did he have? He did not do so well in his exams throughout college, and now solely believed having a front-line job would actually do the tick of securing chances of future employment due to experience.

And what was with that tutor his father had hired for him? It was Reborn who suggested applying there because they had a position available…

"We're here."

The sudden voice of the solemn driver who had been quiet throughout the entire journey stunned Tsuna to some extent, and he did another futile goldfish-gasp of air before returning back to sit upright in his seat properly, sliding his window back shut. He had been the only passenger on the coach, which smelt like pickles and sweat. He picked up his bags and suitcase, which were askew on the empty seat beside him, and he thanked the driver, and stepped off the coach.

He was greeted with a plain sight.

_Grey._

Lots and lots of grey. All he could see was grey, not just the sky, but the grey brick-walls that seemed as tall as lampposts, completely decorated in barbed wire and signs screaming 'NO TRESPASSING' stretched at least hundreds and hundreds of mile within Tsuna's field of vision, and he noted, that the ends seemed to round inwards, indicating that the walls must be built into a circular fashion, protecting the building inside, like the way a moat protected a castle. He could see the building towering within; it was also grey, and Tsuna ultimately realised the lack of windows and doors. In either words, he did not have a very good first impression of the establishment's exterior. Melone Reformatory was renown in Namimori to be a high-security prison with a burly reputation of homing a team of solid-strong, professional staff.

He stood limply under the bus shelter where the coach driver had dropped him off, completely unsure and unaware of what to do. Remembering the letter he had received from the post a few days ago, he hurriedly fished the crumpled letter from his pocket, having to shrug off his various bags that were draped around like him decorations of a Christmas tree, and thoroughly opened it, seeking for guidance for his next move.

Apparently, his Induction Officer would be a man named '_Dino Cavallone_', and that Tsuna was to report at the Staff Main Entrance at 0700 hours. He quickly checked his wristwatch; it was at least five minutes to seven. Tsuna swallowed, and stuffed his letter back safely inside before clutching his bag tightly to his chest, and meekly made his way up. The automatic doors revelled in his presence, and let him inside, which then closed behind him. Almost immediately, Tsuna felt imprisoned, even though he had just entered reception only. What on earth had he signed himself up for? Was it too late to make a run for it? Nevertheless, Tsuna swallowed and reprimanded himself that it was cowardly for a man to run away from his problems.

He took one step forward and -

**BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP**

Tsuna leapt in fright and tried to make a mad, frantic dash for the doors – but the security guard stopped him and Tsuna stood sheepishly on the spot, embarrassed with the entire ordeal. "Hold your arms out, please. I'll have to make a check for any metal objects. You look like a nice kid, but it's standard procedure." The man instructed, and Tsuna did as he was told, before a metal rod was pressed near his face, before being dragged down slowly all around the perimeters of his body. Shaking, Tsuna stood stiffly, and the rod sounded off near the pockets of his trousers. "What's in your pocket?" The guard asked, politely, and Tsuna reached into his pocket, lifting out a pile of keys all looped by a tuna fish-shaped keyring.

He flushed brilliantly regardless, and the guard gave him the all clear and handed him back the keys. His bags and suitcases were taken off him, however, and placed into the care of the guard who fed them through this x-ray scanner machine. Tsuna waited patiently in his seat, waiting for his belongings to be returned to him. To his left, a sign indicating the Visitor's Information Centre stood proudly. Beside it, a revolving stack of leaflets, ranging from 'How to tell your kid their daddy's in Jail' and 'How to cope with the fact that a loved one is in confinement'. Tsuna cringed at the straightforwardness and shook his head at them in disapproval.

The guard returned back, with Tsuna's luggage. "You're all clear," The guard said, and he returned back to his post. Tsuna swallowed down and thanked the guard before he left, clutching his bag tighter to himself.

"Tsunayoshi??"

At the sound of his full name being called out, Tsuna perked up, turning to a man who had appeared from nowhere and was now standing at a random, open doorway, just a few feet from the desk. The man was tall, good-looking, with wispy locks of blonde hair brushed tidily away from his dazzling blue eyes. He was in formal military-style uniform; a black blazer, with silver, rubbery-looking fastens, a small, shiny medal, and a red band circulated his left shoulder -- which Tsuna found strange… The man was wearing matching black dress pants, and boots, with each pant leg stuffed in, but stretched out evenly to ineptly minimize the poofy-leg look. All this man was missing was a musket swinging from his belt **(1)**. Tsuna wondered in amazement how prison staff could look so.... formal, and sophisticated. This must be a top-notch prison, if not, a prison where smart appearances were mandatory. And here was Tsuna, who realised he had forgotten to comb his hair this morning. The blonde man smiled, brushed a white-gloved hand through his hair and beckoned Tsuna over with a hook motion of his index finger. Tsuna stiffened slightly with acute surprise.

"Over here, Tsuna." The man said, his tone was friendly and warm, as if he was a casual acquaintance of the boy, even though Tsuna had never seen him before at all, and Tsuna blinked at the informality and then trailed towards direction of the mysterious blonde man, as the receptionist he had not even had a chance to talk to who had been seated behind the desk, filing her nails, smiled politely from the blonde to Tsuna. The man said, "We'll have a chat in my office."

Tsuna squeaked out his meek response of 'Hai' that seemingly trailed off into a frail silence, and followed the blonde man who had not waited for his response at all, but had retreated back further into the doorway, which led to a long stretch of corridor, illuminated greatly by spotlights. The blonde man, who Tsuna now presumed was Mr Dino Cavallone, his Induction Officer in the flesh, stopped at a random door at the left side of the corridor and unlocked it before placing the keys back into his pocket, "In you go." He held the door for Tsuna.

"Thank you…" Tsuna bowed a little and respectively waddled into the office. "I-I brought my reference letter."

Dino shut the door behind him upon entry and accepted Tsuna's letter, and then gestured for his new brown-haired guest to sit at one of the leather chairs opposite his desk which was situated at the end of the room. Tsuna looked around the unfamiliar surroundings, staring at the books and then gawping at the double bed in the corner. Dino sat down, opened the letter, scanned the list of contents very briefly, and smiled at Tsuna politely. "Ah, yes."

Dino looked at the letter of reference that was apparently written by Reborn.

_Dear Dino,_

_Tsuna is a clumsy, reckless, idiotic young man with a lack of perspective and intuition. However, I am hoping this experience in Melone Reformatory may help him understand some crucial values towards life in any ways possible. Therefore, I will entrust him into your care and I will come to check on his progress soon. _

_Kind regards,_

_Reborn_

Dino smiled dryly at Tsuna once he looked away from the letter and folded it back up, deciding to keep it on him for the time being. Tsuna smiled back awkwardly in return; obviously he had no idea what Reborn had written about him, but he knew it probably wasn't very good, either. "Welcome to the Melone Reformatory, Tsuna. My name is Dino Cavallone, and I will be your Induction Officer; I'm pleased to tell you that your application has been successful and that we have decided to enlist you among our ranks," He said, then - "…Are you alright? You look a bit.... green."

Tsuna cringed when Dino's expression altered to one of slight worry, "I'm fine." He nodded convincingly, smiling uncomfortably at himself.

"Very well," Dino's smile widened slightly in response, "As you may know by now, Tsunayoshi-kun, our prison is very unique, in many different ways. We have a high reputation to uphold and maintain as the most secure, modern and hi-tech security for mafia criminals in Japan. Did you know that it costs over thirty-five thousand dollars of a taxpayer's money to keep a person in prison for a year?"

Tsuna shook his head. So this is where the government had invested into, using his father and mother's hard-earned cash.

Dino chuckled, "You see, prison is a closed world. People barely know what goes on behind these walls. In essence, the term 'imprisonment' is deprivation of one of the most cherished features of human life – individual liberty'. In the Melone Reformatory, however, we believe in deterring prisoners from committing their crimes again - they are taught new skills, will be given personal support and encouraged to change their behaviour."

Tsuna nodded affirmatively.

"Right, let's move on. Er… Oh, uniform…You won't need to wear a white shirt and a pair of black trousers here. Shoe size?" Dino asked; Tsuna respectively replied to his question, and Dino ducked down beside his desk and Tsuna peered over, until the blonde man promptly whipped back up and Tsuna backed into his seat immediately. Dino handed Tsuna a bundle of clothes all wrapped up in plastic wrapper, along with a pair of black, army boots from out of nowhere (maybe from a hatch under the floor or something). Tsuna cringed somewhat at the sight of the boots. "These are Size Small – you can get changed in the Locker room afterwards."

"Um, thank you, Officer Cavallone…"

"Just call me Dino."

"Right, _Dino_, may I ask…?" Tsuna had gestured to his left arm, leaving his question trailing off. He felt rather awkward addressing Dino by his first name.

Dino blinked blankly at Tsuna, then looked down at his own left arm, at the red, cotton band. "Oh, right, _this_. This is just what the Warden makes us wear. Apparently it reminds him of his days as Head of the Disciplinary Committee." He grinned bashfully at the younger boy.

"Oh."

"Okay, let's carry on with the Induction, shall we?" Dino glanced sideways to his cactus plant propped up on the surface of his desk, "…We hold prisoners here who have been given the Life sentence, so we watch over them twenty four seven. Some of them are compliant and do not cause trouble, that doesn't mean we lessen our surveillance procedures. All of our prisoners are also completely related to any sort of underground activity, ranging from the mafia, the yakuza, and the triads." Dino explained, "The mafia world is very diverse, Tsuna, our prisoners come from very unique backgrounds -- some of them contain powers even man has yet to completely understand. We hide these men away from them, protecting them, from themselves, and to the general public."

Tsuna perked up. _…Protecting them…??_

"These men, Tsuna, with the powers…They have abused their gifts and have been sent here. They are put into special cells but are allowed into the normal cell blocks to socialise with other prisoners. But I will introduce you to them in due time. Unfortunately, we offer training only by experience; you will learn how to discipline offenders and how to administer punishment, and how to imbue strict law in response to the violence that will occur here, all in good time."

At that point, Tsuna paled slightly.

"I'm going to test you now, see if you've been doing your homework…" Dino chuckled, as soon as Tsuna's face paled even further.

"Is this an... interview?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Am I being _interviewed_?"

Dino raised a fine eyebrow, then he let out a roar of good-humoured laughter, a nice sound to Tsuna's ears, he realised. Inwardly, Tsuna mentally scolded himself that it was no time for thinking such thoughts. "We have already hired you, Tsuna. I'm just going to check how much you already know about our establishment to make sure you are well-informed."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean – I mean... I thought, you know, I'm...I don't think I'm a...an _**extrovert**_." Tsuna finished lamely, cursing inwardly at his choice of words. He burnt red with embarrassment. _Would I even last a day in here??? I've never been in a fight in my entire life!! _

As if reading his mind, Dino chuckled again, "It'll be alright, Tsuna. We don't just look at physical appearances for this kind of work. Sure, you're still young, but in here, we also need the right kind of personality to approach certain types of prisoners, and to understand them. And as I said before, some prisoners are not malevolent and will frankly enjoy your company." Dino replied, and Tsuna felt slightly relieved, if not, a little more worried, or perturbed by his words. "Okay, ready for your first question? Here goes - who foresees the overall Prison?"

Tsuna took a brief moment to reply. "…The Governor."

"Who is…?"

"In par with the Home Office…?"

"You're absolutely correct. And, next question -- who is Second-in-Command here?"

Silence.

Tsuna looked like a fish out of water, having completely and utterly no idea of the answer to the question. He scratched his head. He scratched his chin. He scratched his neck. But still, he did not know the answer and stared limply on at Dino, who merely chuckled lightly, "Come on, you must know the answer. You've even met him."

"...I have?"

"Reborn-san."

"Huh?"

"Didn't you know that Reborn-san is the Nominated Head, or Deputy Head, of this very prison?"

Silence again. Then -

"WHAT?! But he-he's just a…" Tsuna had shrieked out, but then, he simmered down, slowly piecing two and two together and finally realising the ill truth. _No wonder he knew about this job. What does he hope to accomplish, sending me here in the first place??_

"Well, moving on -- next question – who is third in place?"

Tsuna knew this answer. "The Chaplain."

"…Fourth?"

"The Warden."

Dino looked rather impressed with Tsuna's knowledge. "Fifth?"

"The Commanding Officer, which is…You?"

"Strictly speaking, that is my formal title, yes; but as I have said before, I am also the Induction Officer, and there are many more Commanding Officers - you will also meet these men in due time. Very good, Tsuna, you have been studying," Dino grinned at him and Tsuna felt satisfied and almost proud of himself, "I'm sure you'll do fine. Ready to meet your co-workers?"

Tsuna nodded, and Dino had gotten up from his seat and had now walked to the door, opened it and held it for Tsuna. "After you."

Almost shyly, Tsuna squeezed through the open door in response to Dino's well-mannered gesture. Dino locked the door behind him and continued on with his Induction, now walking directly in front of Tsuna, "Typically speaking, Correctional Officers like yourself do not have much of a high public profile. Your role is to guard prisoners in a way as to prevent them from escaping; you will develop a finely tuned awareness of what is fair and what is not, while at the same time, emphasizing the importance of providing prisoners with opportunities for reform."

"Reform…Got it." Tsuna muttered, though he sounded unsure himself. He wondered if he could really pull this job off – maybe he should ask Dino...or maybe not. Dino seemed to have confidence in his 'abilities'. They left the corridor, and rounded off into a passageway, and Tsuna felt wary almost immediately, due to the lack of lights, and the black stoned walls. No doors or windows, save for a 'Fire Exit' sign that was glowing ominously to the right. He looked around nervously. _Whoa, where did all the bright and cheery go? Guess the reception is only for the public eyes. This must be the Real Deal._

Dino stopped at a random door, "There's the locker room. Here's your key; your locker combination is 22-07-09 **(2)**."

"R-Right…" Tsuna accepted the key off Dino and hurried inside.

A few moments later, he emerged back out, having stuffed his bag and suitcase into his locker, and now neatly dressed down in the correct attire sporting the black, military-style blazer and dark pants, and those hefty boots. He flushed slightly as soon as Dino whistled. Tsuna himself felt mildly uncomfortable with his bold appearance, "I didn't know brown hair matched the uniform so well." Dino pulled at one of his blonde tresses and laughed. "Alright, let's move on."

Dino was speaking again and Tsuna quickly snapped his attention back to the man, his eyes landing on the back of the blonde's head. "In the Melone Reformatory, we use a simple confinement cell system due to problems regarding overcrowding – the reformatory has a total of twenty three Cell Blocks, which consist of twelve cells which are shared by inmates. These are also named correspondingly to alphabet letters. Therefore, we have Cell Block A, which consists of the twelve cells, all labelled 'Cell 1-12' respectively. You will be assigned to watch over Cell Block D." Dino explained, as they continued down the corridor, their footsteps echoing off the flagstone, paved floor.

"Cell Block D?"

"Yes, there are two dangerous prisoners transferring from L Block to D Block due tomorrow – Rokudo Mukuro, and Byakuran of the Millefiore."

"...Millefiore?"

"Well, he's part of them. You've heard of the Millefiore, right? They're made up of the Gesso and the Giglio Nero, two respective mafia families. Well, we got the Gesso's leader, but they're still active from outside. We've had to scatter prisoners from the Gesso and Giglio Nero throughout the entire prison so they cannot communicate with each other as thoroughly as they can."

"What about Rokudo Mukuro?"

"Oh, he was held in the Special Criminals Unit for investigation. This is merely his 'visit' before he returns back to the lab."

"The..._Lab_...?!?" came Tsuna's astonished reply.

Dino did not reply to that statement. "That's not all, Tsuna, there's also a group called the 'Varia' to look out for, too."

Tsuna paled again. _The V-Varia???_

Dino then fished around in his pockets, then took a tiny trinket box, and a ring. "Have you seen this before, Tsuna?" He asked, and Tsuna shook his head. "This," Dino began, "...is a **ringbox**. Along with drugs and contraband weapons, this is what you should really keep an eye open for - the prisoners will attempt to smuggle these boxes and rings in. Whatever happens, a prisoner absolutely _cannot_ be in contact with any of these, or soon, there will be a **riot**. Do you understand, Tsuna?"

"Yes, Dino."

"We also have very few interpersonal rules, but you will remember these well or face the consequences – Number one -- **Relationships with prisoners are strictly forbidden**, Number two, any involvement with underground activity will not be lightly foreseen; your punishment will be heavy. Number three – well, this is my rule, but… You do not enter the Warden's room unless he has given you permission." Dino said as he returned the box back into his pocket.

"…Huh?"

"You'll understand soon when you meet him, and, don't think about it too much when he says he'll '_**bite you to death**_'. Oh, we're here." Dino had promptly turned a sharp ninety degree angle to the left, and stopped at a set of iron gates where a sign with the letter 'D' was embellished on, and Tsuna almost bumped into his back. "This is where you will work from now on, Tsuna."

He opened the gates, and Tsuna held his breath.

Another long corridor was revealed, though it was much spacious, and led forwards into the Block; all built with cells constructed into line all around in a circular fashion around an elevated podium standing up high watching over all the cells where two men clad in uniform could be seen leaning against the railing. It was empty; Tsuna gulped, as Dino strode in, beckoning Tsuna to follow again. He made his way towards the stairs, with Tsuna trailing behind. He took this time to look around; the twelve cells, were all lined beside each other, roughly about the size of two small closets jammed together, with nothing but bunkbeds inside. The cells were fitted with plexiglass walls instead of bars. Another cell, did not have a bunkbed, but rather, a payphone. At the base of the lighthouse-like podium, was a widescreen TV affixed to the wall of the podium by bolts, surrounded by chairs and headphones attached. Tables and chairs were bolted to the ground in one far-off area of the prison floor, indicating recreation and leisure purposes.

Dino arrived at the very top of the raised podium and slotted in his keycard into the lock to permit him entry. Tsuna followed suit, and looked around – the entire podium overlooked the entire prison floor, and Tsuna realised this must be the central control station, where each prison personnel in charge of each Block monitored every cell, and was only accessible by staff. "Morning, Takeshi, Ryohei."

"Ah, good morning, Dino-san." The two men replied curtly.

"This is Yamamoto Takeshi, and Sasagawa Ryohei, your fellow Correctional Officers." Dino had gestured to Tsuna, "This is Sawada Tsunayoshi, the newest recruit."

"Nice to meet chuuu, Sawada-san!!!!!! Let's work together and do our very best from now on to the EXTREME!!!" Ryohei, with snowy white hair and a particular tuft poking up from the top of his head like a cockerel's red crest atop its head, barked loudly and enthusiastically at the brown-haired boy, and Tsuna shrunk back slightly, whereas Yamamoto, the relaxed, carefree-looking, dark haired individual greeted him in a much more casual manner with a wave of his hand and a polite 'How do you do?'.

"Nice to meet you all." Tsuna bowed at them both. Wow, he had never seen someone (like Ryohei) so fired up before 8am in the morning.

"…And this is Giotto, your Commanding Officer, of Cell Block D."

Tsuna glanced at the back of the chair Dino had addressed to – or rather, the meticulous individual who was seated in that particular chair. "…Giotto…?" He breathed out curiously beside Dino, once the chair swivelled round to them, revealing a man with tawny-blonde hair and startling cobalt eyes that locked onto Tsuna's russet orbs, incarcerating them in a mesmerising stare. His leg was crossed over the other, his right hand rested under his chin, supported by the armrest, his left arm lay on the length of the other armrest latently. He dressed in the same black uniform as everyone else. Tsuna swallowed down and immediately looked away coyly after their staring match had prolonged for more than necessary; shortly before noticing that his acute response had elicited a small smile to grace the blonde man's features.

"So… Sawada Tsunayoshi," Giotto had spoken, in a calm, soothing voice that rather intrigued Tsuna to some extent that he had looked back up to blink enquiringly at the blonde man in the chair. However, his voice matched his demeanour very well and Tsuna was immediately captivated within his alluring tone, "…We finally meet."

* * *

Lol, you must be getting an idea of what's going to happen, ne? But nothing really happened in this chapter... It'll get better soon! I do suppose this story is completely AU to the canon of KHR; in this story, Tsuna will create a 'family' but in entirely different circumstances. Ratings may go up, too!

**(1) **Uniforms were inspired by a picture from Togainu no Chi, where Shiki and (I forgot his name, I think it was... Akira or something, correct me if I am wrong) are wearing military-style attire xD

**(2)** LOL Tsuna's locker combination is today's date (or the day I posted this first chapter up)! That's how 'imaginative' I am...

Sorry if it was slightly confusing at some parts. The story will also contain the pairings **8059**, but I am still 'allocating' the KHR cast, so, whoever Tsuna is paired up with, is still undecided. It might be **All27 **but I do like-like **G27**. I have honestly no idea, because this prison plot bunny came from nowhere and I just had a rush of inspiration.

Tsuna can be paired with anyone, or it will probably be either of these options:

1. Tsuna x Giotto  
2. Tsuna x Mukuro  
3. Tsuna x Byakuran  
4. Tsuna x Hibari

Please tell me what you think :D


	2. Cell Block D

**Homecoming**

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-

They were formally introduced to one another with a brief handshake. Tsuna's small hand made contact with Giotto's hand; it was a nice, and firm handshake. In fact, you could even say Tsuna's hand fitted into his like a glove…

"Reborn has told me a lot about you." Giotto said, and Tsuna noted how tall, and lean this man actually was, when he had lifted himself off his chair to stand slant against the switchboard, picking up a cup of coffee that had been resting beside him off the surface. He also had a shiny medal on his pocket, like the one Dino had. Tsuna looked from Ryohei to Yamamoto, and realised they did not have one, and proceeded to believe that the additional adornment was for Commanding Officers only. Giotto added, "How long have you been his student?"

He took a brief moment to reply, "…At least...half a year…" Tsuna replied numbly, wondering what else Reborn could have possibly told the man, and what the relationship between Reborn and Giotto may have been (Reborn tutored him too at some point?). Maybe Reborn had said nothing good about him, and Tsuna was worried that Giotto may have had a poor impression of him. The man was also the Commanding Officer, with Ryohei and Takeshi under his span of control. He could've relayed what Reborn told him about Tsuna, so they may also have a poor impression of Tsuna, too. He began to panic, and the old 'First Day of School' feelings resurfaced again. He was terrified of ending up with no friends. _Focus!_ He thought, _This isn't school anymore, this is the real world! You can't expect yourself to be liked by everyone!_

"I see," Giotto replied, "…I'm glad we have had the opportunity to meet. Dino, I will take over Tsunayoshi's Induction session from here. Thank you."

Dino responded with a smile, "Alright then," He turned to Tsuna, and patted his shoulder, "I'll be taking my leave now. Don't worry, Giotto will look after you; he'll keep you on the right track. Come visit me if you have time, eh? I'll be in M Block. See you later, guys."

Giotto, Ryohei and Yamamoto returned his farewell whilst Tsuna nodded weakly; Dino abruptly left the podium to return to his own Cell Block, thoroughly exiting the entire D Block. The iron gate closed behind him, with Tsuna watching his retreating back still on the elevated platform, and, although Dino had assured him previously, Tsuna still felt a mixture of unsettling fear and worry. Ryohei and Yamamoto joined him, standing at both his sides, leaning against the railing.

"You okay, Sawada-san?" Yamamoto asked, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Your face is so...green."

"R-Really? Hahaha...aha...ha...Ahem. I'm fine. Honestly." He couldn't help but cringe. Even Dino had said that to him...Did his nervousness really show that badly? Or was it still the breakfast?

From his left, Ryohei said, "Heh, you should've seen me on the first day: I grabbed onto his leg and begged him not to leave me."

Tsuna couldn't help but grin at the statement.

"Tsunayoshi."

The three men turned round to face Giotto, who had leant off the switchboard and stopped shortly in front of them, and Ryohei, Tsuna and Yamamoto evenly spaced themselves out into a horizontal line, 'roll-call' layout. Ryohei and Takeshi stood up straight and put their hands behind their back, and Tsuna was prompted to do the exact same. "I have a few things to explain to you before I give you a tour of the facility. Ryohei, Takeshi, you two can make a start on rounds. Takeshi, you're up first, then Ryohei next." Giotto commanded fluidly.

"Hai, Giotto-sama." Ryohei and Yamamoto replied, and promptly started on their work.

"Tsunayoshi, please follow me." Giotto had walked to the stairs of the podium, and inserted his keycard into the gate lock.

Tsuna jerked in movement again, bowing once more to Ryohei and Yamamoto, before following Giotto out of the control station and down the stairs. They arrived at the prison floor; a vast, spherical corridor with the cells built around, and those plexiglass walls, with breathing holes punched in. Tsuna looked around curiously; the prisoners were all seemingly asleep.

Giotto stopped in front of the cell which featured the payphone bolted to the back of the cell, "The Podium is the central control system of D Block. Every Cell Block has one, and they all link to the Internal Security Sector. Because this is your first day, it's too early for you to learn the complete instructions of the switchboard, and I won't force you to get involved with, or confront any violent prisoners or any other physical brute encounter, but you should know the basics. Your task for today and for the remainder of the week will involve several errands and other administration responsibilities. You will also spend a period overshadowing either Ryohei or Takeshi during their shifts, so you can familiarise yourself with the way we work. First, I will give you a keycard – "

Tsuna was then handed the keycard, which Giotto had protruded out from his pocket. It was white, with a barcode on it, credit card-sized and, attached to a neckstrap, which Tsuna looped over his neck. He stood limply, the card dangling off him, wondering how Giotto could look so cool, just like that. The man looked just the same as any other Officer here…

"This will permit you entry to the Podium where you can sign yourself in and out everyday or take a break. Even if you lose it, prisoners wouldn't be able to use the switchboard, so there's no need to put any pressure on yourself," He smiled, and Tsuna felt slightly relieved.

"Will this work on every Cell Block?"

"Unfortunately, it only works for D Block." Giotto replied, "We also have ID cards, but I'll need to give you a form for a matriculation session later on."

"Okay."

"I will tell you this only once, Tsuna; the Melone Reformatory consists of seven floors and two separate buildings, or, Divisions. This is the East Division, behind it, is the West Division. The East Division is only accessible by Staff; the West Division is for the public. The majority of Cell Blocks are situated in the East Division, with the exception of Cell Blocks E, F, G, and T, U, V and W. Some of those Cell Blocks are currently under maintenance, or are far too outdated to use. The West Division consists mainly of Rehabilitation Centre and areas of reformatory, such as the Library, the teaching classrooms and the Dispensary. There are special, secure passages built for visitors where they can witness the prisoners in their process of rehabilitation. It gives us more… credibility in our service, and provides the public with a rough idea of how prisoners live life in the Reformatory."

_What's that supposed to mean??_ Tsuna mused, glancing to the side. _Could they be… hiding something from the public? _

"The Melone Reformatory has been a prison for decades," Giotto continued, and Tsuna looked back up at him, "Its system has also remained the same."

"System?"

"You do know about the two systems available to prisons to incorporate, right?"

"….N-Not really." Tsuna admitted dryly.

Giotto smiled once again at his response, "Prisons can either operate under a _silent_ or _separate _system, Tsunayoshi. The silent system gave emphasis on the significance of hard labour with the intention both of underlining the unpleasant nature of imprisonment and teaching the discipline necessary for an honest member of the working class. The separate system was more concerned with changing the mindset of prisoners, based on the belief that criminals could be reformed by the very experience of imprisonment. They were to be left on their own to contemplate the error of their ways; they were not allowed to come into contact with other prisoners or talk to staff. Our system incorporates some elements from both systems, however.

"I will explain the way how this prison works – A siren will sound off at approximately 9am. Prisoners have already been given toothbrushes and towels upon their initial arrival at this prison, so they gather their washing materials and go to the communal showers and get cleaned up, get dressed, you know the drill. At quarter past 9, prisoners will go for breakfast. There are two cafeterias in the East Division; two Cell Blocks will go down for their daily meals at the same time at one cafeteria, and another two Blocks will do the same at the other cafeteria; we allow a restricted half hour for breakfast, and forty minutes for dinner, which is served at 6pm. Time is a necessary constraint and a further means to discipline our prisoners. Prisoners can spend their free time in any way they want; usually they have been assigned work roles, or have some gathering to adhere to, whether it is a church session or rehabilitation group meeting. Lights-Out commences at 10pm."

Pause.

"Any questions?"

Tsuna blinked numbly at him. Giotto had spoken too fast in such a short while for Tsuna to completely register properly and his head was now reeling from the onslaught of information overload. "…What do you mean by work roles?" He managed to croak out.

"We have prisoners helping out in various establishments of the Reformatory - the kitchen, for example, where some are tasked with kitchen duty, serving other prisoners their meals. Others will even help look after older prisoners in the Infirmary."

"Oh." Tsuna's mouth formed a tiny 'o'.

"Lunch is not usually issued, but rather, _earned_. Prisoners who complete their designated working shifts successfully without any quandaries will earn vouchers for their good behaviour. There are many types; and they can be traded for all sorts of rewards; payphone credit, for instance – " Giotto gestured to the phone behind him, " – or longer visiting hours."

Tsuna did not entirely enjoy the 'earning lunch' set-up. Then again, as Giotto said, the Melone Reformatory had been here for decades, and their system had never changed. If Tsuna recalled correctly, he had never _worked_ for his lunch before. His mother would always just cook him up anything whenever he said he was hungry. Immediately, Tsuna blanched, believing that he had not been grateful or thankful for what he had.

"This is a mandatory aspect of our system to encourage prisoners to learn responsibility, and for them to understand the importance of certain values." Giotto explained. "Don't worry, Tsuna, you will learn more about the prison's timetable and schedules as you work and meet other members of staff." He then turned to face the young officer directly, and Tsuna's breath lodged in his throat as he stared back into Giotto's mesmerising eyes. Then the man smirked, "Are you ready for the grand tour?"

………

"Where are we?"

Giotto had taken him around, mainly the West Division for the time being. They had just been to the Chapel, but the Chaplain wasn't in. He was curious to see who the man was, but instead, Tsuna was shown the various teaching classrooms and the Dispensary; everyone was too busy to fully acknowledge the new presence of the new recruit, so they moved on from the precinct within minutes. Tsuna didn't really mind; he didn't want _everyone_ to know that he was a newcomer to the establishment. Giotto then led Tsuna away from the Dispensary and towards the rear end of the corridor, stopping at the lift. When the lift arrived, Giotto pressed onto a random button with no number of the floor on it, and Tsuna watched on anxiously as they went up.

Once the doors opened, he realised the area Giotto had led him into was completely dark. He could barely see. Tsuna rubbed his eyes, adjusting them to the dimness. "What is this place?" Tsuna asked out loud, and his voice echoed around the empty hall. It was just…devoid.

"This is the entrance to the Lab." Giotto said, his voice sounding off eerily from around the unlit corners, "…It is completely confidential and off-limits; Officers aren't allowed here, but we are an exception. This is where they are holding Rokudo Mukuro for the moment."

Tsuna's eyes bulged. _Rokudo Mukuro?_ Why did that name sound so familiar? Of course! It was the inmate who was due tomorrow; along with Byakuran of the Millefiore… they were meant to be dangerous… with murderous intent…violent...ruthless… and the list could go on and on and on. Tsuna's face paled to the colour of paste drastically, as Giotto walked up to the further end, his footsteps echoing off the ground. He pushed open the double set of swing doors, which Tsuna had even failed to notice since they were black and blended in tremendously with the entire hall, revealing a reception room – a woman in a white lab coat behind a black desk looked up immediately from a pile of files scattered over her desk, at their presence.

"We're just visiting," Giotto assured, before she could say a word.

She nodded, and sat back down in her chair, watching Giotto stride further inside, with Tsuna behind him. Something did not feel right. They entered through another set of double doors, arriving at a long, dark passageway with clear, laminated flooring (also black), that Tsuna could see his shiny reflection on the ground. People in white lab coats walked past them, engrossed in their own work, or chatting to one another amiably, but they did not pay Giotto or Tsuna any attention at all. _Area 51, anyone?_ Tsuna thought to himself as he inspected his bleak surroundings carefully; he couldn't help but grin at his own joke. The two men went through another door, passed another corridor, with closed white doors lining the sides, looping to all sorts of unexplored, sinister areas. Eventually, Giotto opened another door, and allowed to Tsuna to step in first.

The room was very large. The size of the entire D Block, he might add. It was dark (no surprise there); because there were no windows for any other source of natural light, save for the large tank situated in the centre of the room that was glowing a strange and alien-greenish colour, due to the fluid bubbling inside. It was connected to a large generator at the back of the room, various lights and sounds flashing and going on and off. A computer on a stand was propped in front of the tank, along with a small desk and chair, where a book was propped up. There were only two people present in this room – a man with his back turned to them, and beside him, a girl, who noticed Giotto and Tsuna first.

"Oh, Giotto-san…" The girl piped up; her voice was frail and timid. She hid her face behind a manila folder; her hair was long and dark blue, and she bowed shyly at the Commanding Officer before bowing at Tsuna, too.

Giotto smiled at her in return, "We're here to see the Prisoner."

The man (also in a white labcoat) eventually turned round from the book on the desk; he had wild green hair and glasses, his eyes were tired but soft, and a small, lazy smile graced his features.

"Hello, Verde."

"Giotto." The man named Verde acknowledged the Commanding Officer's presence with an idle nod of his head, "Coming to check up on the prisoner?"

"Yes. How is he?"

Verde turned back to his book, and flipped through, "Hm… his condition is stable enough for the revival. He hasn't shown any reaction to the anti-cholinergic we injected into his system, or the…hmm, let's see here…" Verde then proceeded to mutter under his breath as he continued to flip through pages.

"Any chances of the prisoner waking up prematurely?"

"What? **_Of course not._** There's absolutely no way." Verde uttered out, still looking at the book. Suddenly, he looked up, "Nagi, can I get the prisoner's psychologist profile and – oh. Who's the boy?"

Giotto turned to Tsuna as soon as the boy stiffened under Verde's heavy scrutiny. The scientist had even taken off his glasses just to lean forward into Tsuna's face, rubbing a hand under his own chin. "This is Tsunayoshi. He is our newest recruit." Giotto said.

"Nice to meet you." Tsuna said politely.

Verde took his hand off his chin, shifted back and propped his glasses back over his eyes, looked away from Tsuna and now seemingly engrossed with a random page of his book, "Oh, I see. He sort of looks like you, you know." He muttered, flicking his eyes from Giotto to Tsuna, then back down to his book.

At that point, Tsuna glanced sideways at Giotto and pondered if he really did bear a resemblance to the Commanding Officer; Giotto merely smiled back in response to the statement. "...May we have a minute with the prisoner alone?"

"Sure. Just don't touch anything. I'll be in my Office if you need anything else," Verde put the machine into 'sleep' mode, and let his desktop wallpaper come into view on the screen of the computer, "Come on, Nagi."

The girl beside Verde nodded enthusiastically and followed the green-haired man out of the room, throwing another glance to Tsuna and Giotto over her shoulder before quickly turning away, clutching the folder tighter to herself.

Once they were alone, Giotto walked up to the foot of the tank, watching the ethereal being floating inside, seemingly immersed in a peaceful, deep slumber. Tsuna looked away from the door where the two researchers had disappeared off into, and quickly waddled up to Giotto, stopping shortly beside him to gaze upon the splendour of the experimentation unit. The room was hushed; yet the tranquil silence was occasionally broken by the groan of bubbles erupting from the bottom to the top of the tank, and the quiet inhale and exhale of air from the two men. He looked up at the tank in mild awe, his jaw dropped open a little; it was completely filled with a fluorescent, greenish fluid, bubbling viciously and viscously at the very top, at the rim.

The man inside, his eyes were closed – in fact – a long tube protruded out from where his right eye should be…Tsuna didn't know if the man even had an eye or not, therefore… The man's remaining exposed eyelid was taped down - his long hair had to be swept into a loose ponytail, drifting along with the uncontrollable water current that originated at the bottom of the tank. Tsuna could not tell much about the man's overall appearance other than he was wearing a white prisoner's garb; the majority of his facial features were hindered from Tsuna's view by a breathing mask that was strapped over his nose and mouth. Tsuna stared on endlessly, seemingly unable to take his eyes off the entity.

"…Look at him, Tsuna." Giotto breathed out beside him, his voice echoing quietly in the still room, as they stood before the tank that held the man captive. Giotto's eyes never left the man inside the tank. "This is Rokudo Mukuro. Prisoner 27694L **(1)**. He has been here for ten years, spent five of them unconscious. He is steadily aging on the outside, but they've injected a chemical into his system so his internal organs are… frozen."

"Frozen?"

"It is a type of cyropreservation practise they have recently developed over the few years, Tsuna. You wouldn't understand."

"Oh. But...why all this trouble?"

"It is so the body does not require any form of nourishment or water. He is a highly dangerous criminal and he is not allowed out as frequent as normal prisoners. Unlike Officers, the Scientists do not feel it is their obligation to feed him or care for his well-being in any other way, so they have halted his internal system entirely; they do perform health check-ups, but very rarely. The fluid he is suspended in balances out the body's water content automatically. They have also had to provide another chemical which will stop his skin from absorbing far too much water." **(2)**

Tsuna felt his mind fog up with confusion. "What about his… uh, brain?"

Giotto took a while to reply, "It is… '_Closed_'. His mind is shut down into a vegetative state, resembling one in a coma, completely blocked off. Or so they say."

"So, he's...frozen? Like a bag of vegetables??"

The Commanding Officer blinked blankly at Tsuna, and coughed into his fist, "...No, not exactly..."

He was confused. Question marks practically flew out of his head. Then, Tsuna swallowed down, returning his gaze back to Mukuro. "Giotto-san…Is this…_right_?"

"…Right?" Giotto questioned, raising a delicate eyebrow in response, "…What do you mean, '_is this right?_'"

"They locked him up here, and they're…researching him. Well… all this treatment, what they did to his body… does it have to be this way?"

"This is the only way." Giotto replied quietly, "Otherwise, they wouldn't be able to understand where he got his power from. His eye grants him many abilities which are the envy of others." When Tsuna pursed his lips in deep thought, Giotto smiled ruefully in response and stepped closer to the younger man, "…Tsuna, do not burden yourself with things that are not your responsibility. Some things in life… simply cannot be helped."

Tsuna smiled back at the senior wryly. _…But is this… justice? _He looked back up at the tank, at the floating being inside. Then all of a sudden -- "Argh!" Tsuna winced as he felt a sharp pain surge through his head, accompanied by an eerie, orangey-yellow bright light. When he looked back up; the searing pain had immediately subsided, going away as quickly as it came. Yet Tsuna still felt as though his head had been just hit with a mallet.

"...Are you alright?"

Stunned, Tsuna could only nod. "Y-Yeah... I'm fine." _What was that?? _Tsuna turned back to Giotto again."…What...What did he do?"

"He tried to destroy the mafia, cause a world war, and destroy the world in progress, wanting to create a new one. He killed a lot of people, just to achieve that aim. Of course, he was apprehended in time." Giotto replied, and Tsuna deadpanned at his words, then proceeded to step back away from the tank slightly, "…They say the power of his eye granted him visions of the past, present and the future. He was driven mad."

He listened thoroughly to Giotto's words. Rokudo Mukuro… The man had turned insane because of his own power. Yet, Tsuna didn't know if he should be feeling sympathy, or disgust… or… anything at all towards the man. Instead, he looked down at the black laminated ground, staring back at his fuzzy reflection, biting down on his bottom lip keenly.

As if reading his mind (was Tsuna really that predictable?), Giotto had noticed Tsuna's cloudy expression and said reassuringly, "Tsuna, just remember this. What these prisoners have done…these _criminals_… In the end, no matter what the crime; they are human, just like the rest of us."

Tsuna was stunned for a brief moment at his response there, "G-Giotto…?"

He didn't reply, still gazing up at the tank.

"Yeah. I...I think you're right." Tsuna then managed to stutter out weakly afterwards, having contemplated Giotto's word thoroughly, "What was his name again…? **_Rokudo_**…**_Mukuro_**…?"

"Yes, that's right, Tsuna." Giotto replied, before shortly proclaiming to the younger officer - "I need to have a word with Verde in his Office. Do you want to come with me, or stay here?"

"I'll wait for you here."

"Alright then."

Tsuna stared up at the tank again just when Giotto left, disappearing through the door. He had realised something strange about Rokudo Mukuro – it wasn't the fact that his body was completely wrapped in chains, and his neck had a metal brace strapped around, along with his wrists, which were secured together by a steel shackle, connected to another chain that seemed to be part of the many chains that were keeping him from floating up to the top of the tank, like some sort of anchor. The same went for his ankles… It disturbed him to some extent. What was it about Rokudo Mukuro that fascinated Tsuna so much?

The door opened.

Tsuna looked away from the tank, to see the female research assistant from before, who had returned back to the room...

...And that was the precise moment when Rokudo Mukuro's fingers had twitched.

* * *

**(1)** Again, my 'imagination' shows itself...

**(2)** Basically, one of the other chemicals injected into Mukuro was one that would stop him pruning since he'd been suspended in water for such a long time :O

This chapter ended with 'bad' news, muhoho.

I've had to up the rating to M because some things in the story will not be pretty, and will contain some content that is unsuitable for younger readers, that's all I can say for now. The information about the silent and separate system was from a book I got from the library, called _Understanding Prisons_. Lol, I had do homework for this story!

A big thank you to CanadianCookie, for pointing out the typo in the previous chapter. I've managed to edit it. If anyone else notices anything funny, just tell me! And muumuu12, I made Verde the Head Scientist! I don't really like to write about new characters either because I don't know what they're like. I am glad everyone seems to like the G27 pairing and also All27 (I should just make it All27 ehehe).

Thank you EVERYONE who reviewed. Thank you for taking the time to review. You've made me very happy :D


	3. The Awakening Story

This is me trying to write 'action'. This chapter equals Fail D:

**WARNING:** This chapter features some strong graphical violence. OOC-ness

**Homecoming**

-

-

The research assistant smiled at Tsuna as she settled her folder on the desk. "…You're Tsunayoshi, right?"

"Yes," Tsuna replied, returning back her smile, at the same time, inspected her from head to toe very briefly. She was wearing a deep, olive green shirt and a black, tartan-pleated skirt, with the labcoat pulled over, complete with the army boots (the same ones he had to wear. It was possibly the female equivalent of the uniform, except, he wasn't quite sure where the green shirt came from…) "What's your name?"

"Nagi." She humbly showed him her name badge that was attached on the pocket of the labcoat, rather proudly, but then she blushed and looked away, "…I…I'm currently researching Rokudo Mukuro..." She muttered out timidly, "Verde-sama is really busy with other patients…so I help him look after Mukuro."

"What do you mean by 'patients'?"

"…Oh, right, I'm sorry, perhaps I should've been more specific…These men with the special powers, Tsunayoshi-san, the ones who end up in the Research lab… most of them are mentally ill."

"U-Uh… I see."

"But I really hope Mukuro will get better." Nagi walked away from the desk and stopped at the foot of the tank, looking up at Mukuro. She sighed, half-heartedly, then raised an arm up to the being in the tank, and placed her palm flat against the cool glass. "…I read to him sometimes. And I tell him about my day, when we're alone…"

At that point, Tsuna swore he felt a slight pang of disturbance stir in his stomach, and he stared at her. He contemplated whether it was right to worry about the mental state of the staff here, and not just the prisoners. When she turned round, he quit staring almost immediately and looked away, "Do you think he can hear us?" She asked.

"Urm…Giotto said his brain is inactive…?"

"….I'm not so sure about Mukuro."

"How come?"

"Well…" Nagi looked to the side, "His powers are a little hard to explain… All I can say is, there's a slight possibility he still may be conscious, but… He _**has**_ been asleep for five years… I've only been here for two of those years, so…I don't know much about him at all. It's your first day here, right?"

"Yeah," Tsuna grinned embarrassedly, scratching at his neck and looking away to the side.

Nagi turned round from the tank, to face Tsuna, her back to Mukuro. "And you have Giotto-san as a Commanding Officer, too? That's great! I've met other Commanding Officers too, but Giotto-san is the nicest. Commanding Officers come here to check up on their prisoners. Giotto-san must've told you that some of the prisoners here originally belong to their designated Cell Blocks, but spend most of their time here. They are allowed to be 'revived' and return to their normal holding cells, right?"

"Yes…?"

"Well… The Commanding Officers who come here are mean and nasty… but that's okay, because these prisoners are in their Block, and they're really dangerous, so…they have to be mean and nasty…"

Tsuna felt slightly dissuaded in meeting other members of staff, knowing that Nagi had called them 'mean' and 'nasty'. He swallowed down, "But…Giotto's not mean and nasty, or at least, I don't think so. He's been very kind to me."

"That's because Rokudo Mukuro is transferring to your Cell Block. He was an L Block prisoner, initially." Nagi giggled. "Prisoners have their own number, see? So the letter after their number, that's their designated Cell Block. Mukuro's number is 27694; he also has an 'L' after his number, which is his Block, and his Cell Number was **4**." She proceeded to show Tsuna Mukuro's report. He looked at the report, than back to Nagi, and went 'oh'. The girl had put the report back down on the table and returned to look at Mukuro in the tank again. "He really is… wonderful."

"Uh… 'Wonderful'?" Tsuna blanched at her interesting choice of words. _He went crazy and tried to rule the world!_

"That's because people can't see him for what he truly is." She protested, but then looked unsure herself, "…I saw all past that. He is a victim."

"A victim?"

"…He is a victim of himself." Nagi uttered out, looking at the floor now.

Tsuna irked at himself, believing that he had unintentionally upset the girl, and he quickly said, "What kind of person do you think he is?" Although, he thought he knew the answer to that already. _Psychotic. Crazy. Evil. Inhuman. Ruthless. Cruel. Violent. _

"I'm not sure." Nagi replied with a light shrug of her small shoulders, "But we can't call him a monster." A short silence followed after her answer, then she bit her lip, and turned her head down sadly away from the glass of the tank, "…We are the monsters here. Not them."

"Nagi-san," Tsuna began, "…Is it really forbidden for relationships with prisoners?"

"Yes, it is not allow – "

_**CRASH!**_

A loud scream tore from Nagi's lips as shards of glass began to rain down over her suddenly from the tank; and green fluid burst out from the cracks, flowing into the room. The computer was swept away and was tipped effortlessly to the floor, and so were all the contents on the desk. The room fell into chaos; crackling, broken wires that had once been connected to the generator in the back of the room flew wildly from the ceiling of the tank, and Tsuna was battered by a green tidal wave thrashing towards his direction and he was thrown completely off his feet to the far end wall, his head connecting painfully with the hard wall.

When the water subsided, he groaned out groggily, then stared in horror when the being inside got up slowly from the floor of the rounded base. Breathing heavily, the man looked down at the extra weight he was carrying; his arms hanging down with his wrists bound together by the shackle. The chains that had once contained him then dropped to the ground, useless. The man was completely drenched; the right, transparent tube that still affixed to his right eye began to glow bright red, disconnecting from the rest of his skull with a loud '_clunk_'. The shackles on his neck, arms and legs completely exploded into tiny fragments in a matter of moments, and the man unhurriedly scanned his unfamiliar surroundings, promptly caught sight of Nagi, who was stretched out on the floor covered by broken glass, bleeding from her head and apparently unconscious.

He reached over…. and lifted her up.

Tsuna stopped coughing and spluttering out chlorinated water helplessly from the back of his throat and out of his nose, and struggled to his legs when he realised the prisoner had now taken hold of Nagi. Without a second thought, he had screamed out, "_NO!!_ Don't hurt her!!"

That piqued the man's attention; and he turned to Tsuna, away from the unconscious Nagi. They locked eyes halfway across the room. Tsuna froze completely, finding himself staring back at a glowing, demonic, crimson eye.

And then suddenly, his head just…_hurt_.

"Argh!" Tsuna yelped out, his head throbbing, feeling ten sizes too big, just like last time. A loud, scraping sound buzzing in his ears. His hands reached up shakily to clutch at the sides, his eyes clenching shut. _W-What's going on…? _

Random flashes of orangey-red light flickered through his mind.  
His mind was reeling.

Tsuna didn't understand.

Distorted voices.  
Blurred figures.

_What?_

Someone screaming.

_Who's there?_

Then –

"Ah!" Tsuna cried out, when he felt something identical to a searing hot flame lick at his hand, and he re-opened his eyes.

_Fire…?_

There was fire everywhere. Some large room…beds were everywhere…lots of blood on the floor and wall. A… hospital?? The windows were smashed, shredded pieces of fabric caught on broken glass still on the frame. A body hung upside down from a broken tile in the ceiling, its arms swinging down. Another body lay over a stretcher, drenched in blood, syringes sticking out of his back. Smoke lingered in the atmosphere like a plague. Furniture were knocked over. People were screaming and running in all sorts of directions past him. Tsuna gasped and quickly looked down at himself; he himself was not transparent or anything strange. He looked normal. He looked and felt completely normal. No-one seemed to notice him at all, however.

_What are they running from?_

"H-Hey...Miss, what's going on?" He reached out to a woman, but she ran straight past him, his outstretched arm completely passing through her body. He cried out in alarm once again and pulled back.

_Is…Is this a…memory…? Or…Are they…ghosts…?? What's going on? What's happening here? _

Tsuna shivered and looked around frantically; at the far end, a figure had come into view. The screams escalated. A man running towards Tsuna's direction in a desperate bid to escape was suddenly impaled from behind; three sharp, pointed blades protruding out of his stomach – some sort of trident - The man was pulled backwards, then thrown to the side and Tsuna watched on, helpless yet utterly horrified. Next, another man nearby was picked off; the trident slicing through the back of his head and out of his mouth. Tsuna yelled out in terror.

Then the dark and sinister, looming figure came closer into view, standing still amongst the blaze, laughing mirthlessly, and Tsuna gasped once he saw the familiar red glow. _It's him!! The prisoner! And he slaughtered them… He slaughtered them all!_

Where was he anyway?? It wasn't the Lab, that was for sure. Anxiously, Tsuna took a step back and another bright light assaulted his eyes. Wincing, Tsuna's arms flew up over his head in a bid to shield himself. When the light subsided, he re-opened his eyes.

He was back in the Lab.

_W-What the heck was that all about??? D-Did I just…go into his mind…?!!_

"…..Five…" The prisoner before him suddenly rasped out throatily as he hung his head low, his wet and matted, navy blue hair covering his eyes. "….Five…years… And… this girl…"

Tsuna, he was now trembling and shaking, realising that he was now dealing with a murderous and dangerous criminal who had suddenly escaped from his holding tank for completely unknown reasons and had now taken hold of Nagi, his hand crushing down into her throat, his sharp fingernails digging into her skin and drawing blood. The entire room was going crazy; a siren was droning on and on, and an intense red light showered the room, flickering on and off; Tsuna could not see properly, but the change of environment already had his knees quaking and his teeth clattering, terrified with the entire ordeal. He tried to keep calm, as he searched frantically around his uniform, before – _Oh no, Giotto still hasn't issued me a defensive weapon yet!!! I don't have anything on me!!! Absolutely nothing! He'll kill her!! _Completely oblivious of what to do at these types of situations, Tsuna yelled, without thinking twice, "L-L-Let her go! T-Take me instead...!"

Mukuro looked at Tsuna directly, and the younger man stiffened, "…Take…you...?"

"…Take me in her place instead!"

There was a brief silence, then – "…You are… an Officer?" Tsuna froze up all over again when Mukuro had gestured to him. In his hold, Nagi had opened her eyes unsteadily, "H-Help…Tsuna…" She stammered out croakily, "I...I don't want to die…Help me…"

Tsuna nodded viciously, "It's okay, Nagi, I'll-I'll, uh… save you!" His tone felt weak; how could he possibly save her? He didn't have a weapon. Even if he did, he wouldn't be able to use it properly. He had never dealt with these kinds of situations before at all! Tsuna's thoughts rebounded back to the source as to why he was nicknamed 'No-Good' in the first place. He could never do anything properly. And here he was, telling a damsel in distress that he would save her. It was best not to make any promises he couldn't possibly keep. It didn't feel fair to Nagi at all. All Tsuna could mutter out was a feeble, and almost desperate plea, "…P-Please…d-don't hurt her…Take me instead…" _No-one would miss me, _he thought. _Everyone is…probably better off without me._

Mukuro's lips pulled back into a wide grin, "Kufufu….very well…" The exchange commenced; Tsuna was grabbed in place, even though he had already been rather willing, and Nagi was thrown to the side, now completely unconscious. As long as the girl was safe, Tsuna felt nothing else. He squeezed his eyes shut as he was seized roughly by the throat, effectively blocking off his air. He was waiting now. But Mukuro was now hauling him out of the corridor, its environment also the same as the Lab, with the siren and the flickering, hypnotic red light going on and off. And then -

_**BLAM!**_

A bullet embedded into the wall, narrowly missing Mukuro's head just as he went through the doorway. Giotto, with a couple of other Officers, all with firearms in hand, readied another bullet. He fired it towards their direction – Tsuna winced and closed his eyes. He did not know what had happened – but Mukuro had suddenly pulled Tsuna in front of him, using him as a human shield. Tsuna squeaked out and gawped at Commanding Officer, who had now lowered his firearm, realising that if he used his gun, Tsuna would just end up getting hit instead. "Hold your fire." Giotto instructed, "He's got a hostage."

Still in Mukuro's clutch, Tsuna struggled ineffectively under the man's peculiar iron-grip. "…So, we meet again…Giotto…" Mukuro, completely ignoring his squirming captive, grinned at Giotto from halfway cross the corridor spitefully, "Guns…?? That's old school. What happened to your ringbox?"

Giotto threw a glance to the side, then quickly looked back, purposely ignoring his question. "…Let him go, Mukuro. This is between you and me." He said calmly; Tsuna didn't realise he could look so...._serious_. Giotto reached into his pocket and –

"No." Mukuro began, taking ragged, scratchy breaths. "You're not… going to call for back-up. Hand it over."

Silence.

"_DO IT!!_"

Tsuna leapt at the sudden and alarming volume of his voice, yet Giotto remained calm, completely unfazed. He took out his communicator, and then, in his hand – he pushed down on a small, undetectable button before Mukuro or anyone else could notice - and tossed it across the room, towards Mukuro's reach. The man grinned, and threw the contraption against the wall with newfound strength, making Tsuna flinch. He watched the radio crumple to the ground in a heap of broken plastic and metal in despair. The officers threw their attention back to Mukuro again. His wet hair still covering his eyes, but a red, horizontal slit had appeared over the pale face, and they knew he was grinning at them now. "Now, wasn't that easy…?"

"What do you want, Mukuro?"

"Kufufu…I…want to _leave_." Mukuro began, slowly, still trying to find his voice; yet all he could muster out was a weak, and rough, low-pitch tone at the moment, having spent years in silence, "And I'm taking this brave little Officer with me…"

"It-It's okay," Tsuna uttered out when Giotto gritted his teeth, and the rest of the men looked at Tsuna in mute surprise. He aimed his words towards Giotto's directions carefully, "Just do what he says… I'll-I'll…be fine…You said you'll look after me, r-right? I-I trust you. I-I'll go with Mukuro."

"Tsunayoshi, I can't – " Giotto began angrily, but seeing Tsuna's determined face, made his own expression soften, "…Tsuna…" He lowered his gun, and Mukuro walked – if not, limped – past Giotto and the rest of the Officers, still with his hostage.

"Kufufu…Don't even try to follow us."

Once they were out view, Giotto rushed back into the room, where an unconscious Nagi lay on the floor, and he cursed furiously under his breath, knowing that it had come to this. An officer had become hostage of an extremely dangerous prisoner. Suddenly, a rush of footsteps entered the room and Giotto looked up; it was Verde, along with the other scientists, who had come in from the other side of the corridor – away from Mukuro and Tsuna.

"What happened??!" Verde roared furiously, watching the other Officers taking off into the direction Mukuro had gone. He rushed up to the broken tank and inspecting the knocked over the computer, then the desk, and the generator, his shoes trailing green muck all over the place. "Where is the Prisoner?!?"

"…He woke up." Giotto replied back, still cursing under his breath.

"How could this happen??! There is absolutely _**NO**_ way the prisoner could have woken up on his own free will! Absolutely not!"

Although this was worth investigating, Giotto dismissed the scientist's assertion for the moment, "Worry about that later, Verde."

The man sighed out in frustration, and went to a small keypad beside the door, and stabilised the security of the room – the red light in the room vanished, yet the siren persisted, now sounding off throughout the entire laboratory. Then he ran over to his unconscious assistant and tried to wake her up, "Nagi! Nagi, wake up…!" Then, he looked up at Giotto, "Aren't you going to call for back-up???"

He lifted a few fragments of his broken communicator back off the ground, and brushed them away, revealing a tiny black box, and lifted it to his ear, where a slight static could be heard in the background, "I already have. They should've heard the conversation. They should be on their way now."

"I'll never understand how you Officers work..." Verde shook his head at Giotto, then turned to the remaining scientists and gestured to them. "Hurry up and get her to the Infirmary. She's losing a lot of blood." Nagi was promptly lifted up from the ground and carried back out of the room quickly, dripping a droplet trail of blood from her head and neck in process, while Verde squatted down to the floor and turned back to Giotto, "…Where's that scrawny, brown-haired kid?"

"He took him."

The scientist blinked at him behind his glasses, as he plucked up the soggy documents off the ground, "…He'll be fine. The prisoner has been asleep for so long, he cannot fully use his powers in such a short moment of time. We'll catch him."

Verde looked back up when he received no reply, only to realise that Giotto was already gone.

........

Once Mukuro had dragged his captive like a sack of potatoes out of the room and back out, he looked around quickly before quickly rounding off into through a door once he saw someone come their way. He had his hand clamped over Tsuna's mouth, and the poor boy was crammed against his chest, with Mukuro's other arm wrapped securely around his waist. Mukuro shut the door behind them and continued to move on. With no knowledge of what dangerous powers Mukuro possessed, the only thing Tsuna could do was listen to Mukuro and get dragged along, hoping that he'd still be alive then until Giotto came for him….well, unless he did. Maybe Giotto thought of him as just another…object, that could be replaced if…made _redundant_.

Mukuro suddenly crashed to the wall, and Tsuna blinked in astonishment when the grip around his waist loosened. Tsuna stared at him, hard, then realised Mukuro had been trailing blood – Giotto had shot him in the lower leg.

"Y-You're bleeding…"

The man looked up at Tsuna, and he immediately regretted blurting out the very obvious. "…Yes, I am. How observant you are." The petty statement was closely followed with a slight frown.

Tsuna cringed, as Mukuro attended to his wound. He watched the man wordlessly, holding in his breath; Mukuro had ripped off a strip from his garb to wrap around his leg. It didn't stop the bleeding – instead, the white strip immediately turned red in colour, and more blood trickled out underneath. The strip wasn't thick enough. _S-Should I leave him to bleed to death?? _Tsuna thought questioningly to himself, as he looked back at Mukuro. _But…he looks like he's in so much pain…_

"…Here." Tsuna then suddenly muttered out; he unwrapped the red band from his arm – the one that apparently reminded the Warden of his 'old days' - and nudged it towards Mukuro's direction. "…Use this."

A prolonged silence proceeded afterwards, with Mukuro staring endearingly at Tsuna, before he accepted the red cotton strip, and wrapped it around his wounded leg. Tsuna bit his lip once Mukuro stood back up and seized hold of him once more. The man chuckled at him darkly, "Being patronising to the condemned won't get you anywhere in the world, Officer, but thank you." Then – "Why didn't you use that chance to run away?"

_Urgh…!!! _Tsuna thought, feeling as though a knife had stabbed through him like hot butter, _I-I didn't even think -- What have I just done? _

"Because you care about the welfare of others more than your own?" Mukuro spoke softly, and when Tsuna looked back up meekly, then squeezed his eyes back shut and turned his head away, Mukuro laughed. "…Then you are a fool."

Tsuna looked down. _Yeah. I'm a fool. I'm No Good. Thanks for rubbing it in._

They went through more doors and corridors, the blood flow halted by the cotton band. The trail had gone cold. They hid away from plain sight immediately whenever a group rushed past, trying to locate them. Tsuna had contemplated about trying to yell out and struggle away but he really was terrified, and Mukuro prevented him from doing so in general, and they moved on again. Now he realised that Mukuro had been going through doors and rooms, stopping to search around cupboards and drawers before frowning, and moving on again. It occurred to Tsuna that he must be looking for something – maybe one of those ringboxes Dino had shown him earlier on. In fact, they had gone so deep into the Lab, Tsuna didn't even know if they were even in the Lab anymore.

_Doesn't this Lab have any dead-ends?? _Tsuna thought desperately, sweating like mad. _Oh god oh god oh god. This place is like a maze. They'll never find me, and I'll be killed and it's only my first day of work and I'm still young and I still haven't confessed to Kyoko yet and I haven't told dad I accidentally broke his bowling trophy all those years back and blamed it on - _

"Water…" Mukuro had suddenly croaked out, and he scouted his surroundings again, before spotting the nearest water dispenser and hobbling towards it, with Tsuna in tow. Upon arrival, Mukuro tore a spare cup out of the holder and pushed down on the lever, pouring out a cupful of water. He greedily drank it all up, and then – "Ah….That's better."

Tsuna blinked.

The voice was not so gruff and rough anymore, but rather suave, and almost sultry, with a deep lilt to the edge, a genuine nice, silky tone of voice. It was completely unexpected, and threw him off guard. Tsuna swallowed down as he swerved his eyes up to look at his captor. At the same moment, Mukuro had looked down at his captive.

"Would you like some water?" He asked.

Tsuna stared wide-eyed at him and his question, then meekly shook his head, and then he mentally cursed at himself. _Ack!! I could've used this opportunity to call for help!! But then...he'd be sure to kill me then…W-What do I do now??! _

"Fine. We're moving on."

Mukuro dragged him like a ragdoll further down the corridor and entered through another door, leading to an empty operating theatre. It was much quieter in here than it was outside. He stopped in his pace and leant against the wall for support, coughing slightly. He hadn't moved so much for so long that his legs were fatigued, weary and sore. He was also beginning to get very hungry. Now that he had woken up, every primitive human need was practically flying back to him and he was thoroughly reminded of the woes regarding human existence. At least he got his voice back. He needed to find Ken and Chikusa, if they were still in L Block, that is.... He tried to concentrate on his power, but failed. He was drained. Breaking free already took most of his energy. Fatigue was beginning to get the better out of him. Glued to his chest by his arm wrapped around his waist was his hostage – some measly, brown-haired boy who had been present in the room on the day of his revival.

Perhaps carrying him bridal-style would've been easier…

"Now, I trust you to be a good hostage and not scream when I let go of you or I will not hesitate to kill you." He said, and when Tsuna nodded, silently filled with terror, Mukuro inevitably let his hostage slide down to the ground, and flop over the ground, then briefly looked at him head to toe.

Tsuna had instantly scrambled away from the man, breathing arduously in fear, backed up against the wall, trembling insanely, resembling a cornered mouse. With this response, Mukuro had mustered a bemused smirk towards his direction and leered further at him, tilting his head to the side as he knelt in front of Tsuna's level directly. He then slowly reached his hand out and touched Tsuna's chin, using his hand to tilt Tsuna's face up to his, so they met, eye-to-eye level, their noses almost touching.

"…I must applaud you for your efforts…You certainly are _brave_, Officer, sacrificing yourself like that for that girl." Mukuro crooned at him, his breath tickling Tsuna's face, "Do you even know her well?"

Tsuna paled all over again. He didn't know Nagi, having only met her just today, and even though he had spoken to her for only a couple of minutes, and maybe what he did _was_ stupid, but… "…I…I couldn't let you hurt her." He eventually stammered out, turning his face away.

Do you have any idea who I am?"

"…Yes, you're R-Rokudo Mukuro…"

"What did you see?"

"Huh?" Tsuna deadpanned immediately. _Is he talking about what I witnessed back there? The slaughter??_ Tsuna shook his head. "I-I didn't see anything…"

There was a slight hesitation, then Mukuro said, "…You're not a very good liar, Officer."

Tsuna began to hyperventilate. "I-I-I….I-I…I...I…."

Mukuro's eye twitched, ever-so-slightly, realising that he would get nowhere with Tsuna if he continued to persist in his questions whether if the boy had seen what was in his mind or not, and smirked regardless, "It's unattractive for a man to stutter." He had waggled his finger disapprovingly at the younger man. "What are you afraid of, Officer? Are you afraid of me?"

"…No."

"_You should be_."

Tsuna swallowed down, hard, and Mukuro then chuckled; partially bewildered by this Officer's actions in general and his 'well-thought' submissions to Mukuro's interrogation, along with his contradictory answer – his legs were shaking and beads of sweat were continuously running down his temple; he was not like the others here – first of all, he was definitely scared of him, that's for sure. The look of absolute terror the boy had written all over his face rather amused him.

"W-What are you doing...?" Tsuna squeaked, as soon as Mukuro had leant in further towards him. "What are you going to do to me??"

At that point, Mukuro smirked darkly at him.

* * *

GAH! There were a lot of flaws in this chapter (and not just my inability to write action) and I know what they all were -- But please bear with me; I needed to squish in some 6927 moments even if it kicked out some basic common sense! I'm so sorry!! xO

Here were the flaws, if you want to know (and there's probably more, but these are what I can think of so far) –

**Point 1**, Mukuro is most likely to be a Category A prisoner, therefore, point **2**, Security should've been far more robust. And so, point **3**, Tsuna would not have been left alone with Nagi in the room; he would be accompanied with another Officer from the Lab. And finally, **4**, I have made this up, and, if you have noticed, but the Melone Reformatory is rather corrupt, with a false public image and the hidden Lab – one of the prison's regulations denotes that firearms can be used to temporary sustain prisoners who are of Category A regardless of the situation (see the paragraph below for Category A prisoners and their danger level), therefore, Mukuro would've been killed on the spot, even if he had Tsuna as a hostage (poor Tsuna).

From the _Understanding Prison_ book, there are 4 categories of prisoners: Those categorised into D (paragraph 217) are those who can reasonably be entrusted to serve their sentences in open conditions. Category C prisoners are those who cannot be trusted in open conditions, but who do not have the ability or resources to make a determined escape attempt. For them, there should be prisons with sufficient defences to make escape difficult (paragraph 15/217). Category B (paragraph 15/217) are those for whom the very highest conditions of security are not necessary, but for whom escape must be made very difficult, and who ought to be kept in very secure conditions. Finally, Category A (paragraph 15) prisoners are those whose escape would be highly dangerous to the public/police/security of the state. Most of the Melone Prisoners are therefore, Category A or B. There would be some Category C or D, but they would be remand prisoners.

I wish to once again thank you very much for the kind reviews. This chapter really felt shoddy to me, but I will make it up to you, I promise.


	4. Dame Tsuna in Distress

**WARNING:** A testosterone-driven, perverted pineapple in this chapter.

**Homecoming**

-

-

"Shhh..." Mukuro's spine-tingling croon made Tsuna shiver.

His back slammed hard against the wall as Mukuro prowled predatorily towards him; he quickly brought his knees to his chest and tried to crawl to the side but he was blocked by Mukuro, who had now thoroughly caged him with the entirety of his body, and Tsuna's eyes clamped shut as Mukuro reached his other hand forward and -- put it over Tsuna's cheek. Almost at once, Tsuna stopped trembling, and opened one eye. It was a strange, gentle touch, and he swallowed the growing lump in his throat, now opening the other eye and glancing down to the pale hand resting over his cheek. His cheek was given a light, teasing pinch, and then a smooth, almost loving, tender caress.

Tsuna's breath hitched in his throat; he further hid in his gasps of terror by sealing his lips shut tight together, his eyes widening the size of plates. _A man who slaughtered all those people cannot be capable of tenderness and love! He's insane and corrupt!_

"Ah..." Mukuro let out a long sigh, once he realised the boy hadn't stopped staring at him like a deer caught in headlights, "...Don't look at me like that."

Immediately, Tsuna looked away, his face reddening, "S-Sorry..."

"No, you are quite adorable. I like that… _petrified_ look on your face. It reminds me why I am here in the first place."

"E-Eh...?" Tsuna gawped at him; he tried to remember what Giotto had told him about Mukuro previously – he had this ability, something about to his eye, that granted him visions of the past, present and future or something like that, and seeing all those visions, made him insane. It also just dawned to him that Mukuro must have been locked up in jail just when he was a teenager. Yet, this man… Tsuna had to admit – Rokudo Mukuro was very attractive and endearing, with that chiselled jawline and those sharp, yet delicate features. His eyes were very composed yet sweltering, along with his perfect angled nose and -

"...I remember that Officer yelling your name out. Yoshi-something...correct?"

"I-It's Tsunayoshi."

"....Ah...Tsunayoshi-kun, has it really been five years?"

He looked back up. Mukuro had asked him a question. Tsuna began to sweat almost immediately, "Y-Yes. It-It's been f-five...years..." He managed to stutter out weakly while looking around desperately, wondering when someone would barge in and yell 'Freeze!' and 'Put your arms in the air!'.

There was a brief silence.

"I...see." Then, Mukuro had looked down at himself, as if trying to suss out what had changed to his body, what kind of 'growth spurts' he must've experienced during his time spent suspended in fluid. Mukuro tugged at his hair and realised it had grown longer. They'd even tied it up for him. He looked at his fingernails and realised they needed to be cut, and that they were covered in a reddish substance, which turned out to be blood, from the girl's neck earlier on. He then looked down at his pants and Tsuna threw his gaze to the floor, his face growing bright red when Mukuro had pulled out the stretchy, elastic waistline and peered down at himself, trying to see what else had 'changed' about him.

Tsuna cringed viciously, eye twitching furiously. _This…This is not… happening??!_

Apparently satisfied with the sight, Mukuro had pulled his hand back and suddenly swerved his eyes to Tsuna; the boy froze up all over again on his spot and closed his eyes, "...You intrigue me." He said.

Tsuna believed it was safe to open his eyes again. "I-I do...?" He squeaked out.

"...I don't believe I have seen you before, yet I find you… fascinating."

_ACK! F-Fascinating??!_ Tsuna wondered if it was rude to ask 'Why?' yet Mukuro responded to that question, and Tsuna now truly believed everyone in this establishment at least had telepathic powers.

"…You woke me up."

"…I…I _woke _you up?"

"Yes." Mukuro replied, rather courteously with a pleasant smile, "…You said my name. And I responded to your voice."

He swallowed in response. A deathly silence hung in the air. The sudden realisation slammed into Tsuna and he began to panic again. _So…So it's… it's __**MY**__ fault this has happened??!! Just because I said his name… and he reacted??!! Why would he react to my-my voice…? AUGH! Why me??_

It seemed even Mukuro did not know the answer to this, either. But he did make a few guesses - "And… you saw it. All those people at the ward. I killed them all, if you wanted to know."

Tsuna paled. _I…I didn't want to know that!_

Mukuro continued, "Perhaps I knew you from somewhere… in one of my past lives, and we are connected, or, had some connection... although I cannot exactly distinguish what this connection is…"

He seemed rather keen about his assumptions while Tsuna silently trembled in terror, shrinking away from the man. What the hell was this guy talking about?? Past lives? Connection…? What kind of 'connection' could they possibly have?! He had never seen this man in his entire life! And this man was a raving lunatic! Why on earth would Tsuna know him??! At that point, Tsuna deadpanned. _Nagi's right. These people are mentally ill. They're all psychopaths._

Mukuro spoke again. "And...It's been so long since I have...seen someone; I may have forgotten a few details regarding basic human anatomy." A leer graced Mukuro's face now, and Tsuna sucked in a breath. "I haven't even seen someone, let alone... touch someone."

"...Huh...?"

Mukuro opened his mismatched eyes and smiled at Tsuna; the boy stiffened immediately, his heart began pounding hard and fast against his ribs. "Your skin... is so warm, and... soft. So gentle to touch, little Tsunayoshi-kun."

Tsuna's jaw had dropped open, nearly touching the floor. That was right. He'd been asleep for five years. He hadn't had human contact for so long. Mukuro could've been frustrated, or even _deprived_. And here was Tsuna. His hostage, his captive. Tsuna broke out of his thoughts when he felt Mukuro's fingers trail up his arm playfully, and grabbed a firm hold on Tsuna's arm, before he pulled back the sleeve of his uniform and let his fingertips slide over his bare flesh, fingertips playfully riding up and down his smooth pelt, and Tsuna squeezed his eyes shut tightly, trying to pull his arm back. "Stop it..."

"No...I haven't done anything to you... yet," Mukuro leant over, his lips almost touching Tsuna's ear, "...Let me touch you. Let me... _feel _you."

Tsuna let out a pained squeak.

Mukuro's lips had neared Tsuna's neck; immediately, Tsuna was seized by more terror and dread, his stomach lurched but he couldn't do anything. All he could only just sit limp and stupidly and let this man _touch_ him, violate him, even. His hands were cold; but there was something so gentle about this man who was capable of so much terror and bloodshed; Tsuna didn't even know what it was, what this…_feeling _was.

Tsuna was subdued once again when he felt Mukuro's tongue flick out and lick over the nape of his exposed neck teasingly. "…I can _taste_ your fear…"

"Get off me…"

"Such a delightful sound," Mukuro suddenly said as he withdrew his tongue off of Tsuna's neck, and Tsuna hadn't realised he had just unintentionally let out a _moan_. "...Can you make any more? For me? Please...?"

Tsuna further stiffened as Mukuro leaned into him; wet, indigo strands of hair tickling his face as the man continued to eye him inquisitively. His lips then neared Tsuna's cheek, grazing the skin lightly. He breathed in a deep inhale and let out a shuddering groan into Tsuna's ear; in response, Tsuna swallowed down, but he couldn't help the growing blush that took over.

"Your face is so red... is that because you're embarrassed? Do I... make you uncomfortable? Or is it because I am so close to you?"

"I-I-I...I...You – " Tsuna stuttered out, his face flushing furiously. He finally mustered the remaining shred of his courage to push the man off him. It didn't work, and when Mukuro's hands had latched onto the front of Tsuna's uniform, slowly peeling apart the lapels and unclasping the buttons slowly; he immediately shrunk away from him but he was promptly grabbed back and propped back in the man's lap. Tsuna, his face growing redder and redder at that precise moment, tried to effortlessly bat away Mukuro's hands that had moved from his front to his pants. "W-Wait!! What are you - ?? You-You can't...!!? NOO!!!" Tsuna's fist clenched and then, without thinking, he swung it round carelessly, ramming it into the side of Mukuro's face.

There was another brief silence.

The punch had been flimsy, but he had felt the pain. He had not felt pain for such a long time. It was dull, beating rhythmically like a pulse, as Mukuro raised a hand to his newly throbbing cheek, and Tsuna looked at his clenched fist in surprise, and deadpanned with fear. _W-What have I just done?? I'm dead for sure!! _He braced himself for a flying trident to pierce through him from nowhere.

Instead, Mukuro had uttered out, "…Feisty…" And then - he chuckled, leaving Tsuna to let out a helpless wail, sirens roaring in his head. "That was naughty of you, my hostage."

No matter what he seemed to do to deter this man from him, he seemed to like it even more! Tsuna went as white as a sheet, swaying on the spot dizzily. _What's going on?!! What's wrong with this guy? Help me!! S-Someone! Anyone!! Giotto, help me!_

His prayers were answered when Mukuro whipped his head back round with a vicious snarl, having sensed a new presence, and he was promptly seized by the arms and flung backwards, much to Tsuna's surprise. Mukuro had been too 'preoccupied' to notice that he had been snuck on from behind. He was then dragged back up to his feet across the other end of the room, still snarling ferociously at his subduers, and Tsuna was then pulled into a pair of warm and protective arms. Tsuna opened his eyes and looked up.

_Giotto!_

He breathed a sigh of relief, as Giotto looked at him worryingly. "Are you alright, Tsuna?! Did he hurt you??!"

Tsuna blinked sluggishly at him; he had never seen Giotto look so worked up before in his entire life. Sheepishly, he shook his head, and Giotto began to help him button the front of his suit back up for him. "I'm glad you're okay...I'm sorry I let this happen to you...It won't happen again…" Giotto's arms curled tighter around Tsuna's little body once the last button was done up again, and the only thing Tsuna could do was sink deeper into the man's embrace, and close his eyes.

"You…came for me." Tsuna muttered out weakly.

"Of course." He smiled at the boy in his arms, "Of course I'll come to save you."

Tsuna let out a contented sigh as he rested against Giotto's arm. Giotto was so warm, compared to Mukuro…

Speaking of Mukuro, he was imprudently shoved against the wall, his reddened cheek making contact against cold brick to further bring about more pain into his system. His wrists were jerked back and forced together, then promptly handcuffed securely by the officer who had grabbed him away from his little prize. Another officer was brandishing some strange, white device in his hands. Mukuro was cursing and growling fiercely, having been disrupted in his 'endeavours' with the reluctant Tsuna. None of these officers were as cute as his little hostage, his little Tsunayoshi-kun.

"Don't look, Tsuna." Giotto suddenly said, and Tsuna tried to look up – but Giotto had covered him and forced him to look down. Tsuna blinked as Giotto forced his head to bend into an awkward angle; he could only see the ground and legs. The struggle commenced; it wasn't hard guessing which pair of legs was Mukuro.

Eventually, Mukuro succumbed with a piercing, strangled cry and Tsuna froze, his eyes trained on the blood that splattered just a few feet from him. "W-Wait!" Tsuna suddenly found himself yelping out. "_Don't - !_"

There was a sickening crunch, then a grinding whir – like a whittling drill - through something hard and rough, followed by the squelch of something wet and sticky, and Tsuna closed his eyes, turned away. Mukuro was not roaring in pain anymore, and he held his breath as the silence continued on for a few minutes, gripping onto Giotto's arm tightly, but then – Mukuro's screams of agony slowly subsided, growing into peals of devious, mirthless laughter, the bone-chilling sound resonating through the atmosphere, as he was hoisted away from the wall, and hauled back out of the operating room and into the corridor, still laughing.

_He's…He's still alive…I thought… _Tsuna suddenly deadpanned at himself. _Uh…Phew??_

"Take him back to the Lab." Giotto said coldly, still with Tsuna quivering somewhat in his arms, and he held him tighter, as they watched Mukuro, with a strange contraption clamped over his bleeding right eye, get dragged away by the guards, at least five of them. They disappeared round the corner, yet Mukuro's words persisted, echoing throughout the corridor.

"Kufufu...Tsunayoshi-kun...I will make sure we won't be interrupted the next time I see you..."

……..

Tsuna was immediately dispatched to the Infirmary to check for any signs of post-traumatic disorder after the incident. Instead, he was declared the 'all-clear' and promptly sent him back to Giotto, who was sitting patiently at the waiting area. "Uh, they told me to give this to you. You know, an employee medical record." Tsuna handed him the report.

"…Sure." Giotto uttered out absent-mindedly, and he took the report off Tsuna's hands and had a brief skim through. He looked at the 'Recommended medication' section - 'Zantac._ Take one each in the morning and night for next three weeks. Come back for a therapy session in two'. _Giotto raised an eyebrow at the report, then hastily tucked it back into its folder, and sighed. "…Let's go get your prescription."

The journey to the medicine holder's cabinet was silent. Giotto walked faster than Tsuna, making the younger man having to keep up rigorously or risk getting left behind. Once they arrived, Giotto hastily handed the prescription note to the pharmacist, who told them to wait at the seating area. They sat awkwardly beside each other in tepid silence: Giotto with his arms folded tightly over his chest, sitting rigidly upright in the seat, while Tsuna sat hunchbacked, and twiddling his thumbs, sweating slightly.

The tension was broken when a girl hobbled out of the Nurse's Office, promptly caught sight of Tsuna and Giotto, and let out a surprise cry. "Tsunayoshi-san!" She exclaimed, rather breathlessly, as she made her way over to the two men.

"N-Nagi-san..." Tsuna stuttered out, looking at the girl from head to toe. Her hair was considerably shorter than usual, which Tsuna chose not to question about; She looked well in general, except for her bandaged head and the elastoplast plasters stuck over her neck.

"Tsuna, thank you so much for saving my life... " She said, smiling lightly while fiddling with the rims of her skirt. "...Thank you, Giotto-san, if you hadn't caught Mukuro in time, then... "

"It's okay, Nagi." Giotto replied, still with his arms crossed. "We're just glad you're safe."

She nodded briefly, and smiled again. "Anyway... what Mukuro did... he was lonely... He just wanted someone to play with."

Tsuna's eyes bulged. "...P...Play?"

"He was in there for so long... He was bored..." Nagi mumbled out, looking at the ground, "...Well, I-I'm sorry, for going on and on about that... it's better if we all forget what happened...so, I better get back to work...Bye." Then she promptly hobbled away from the two men, and back out of the room.

Giotto and Tsuna watched her, then turned to each other. Tsuna spoke first. "....Is she...okay? Back there...She, uh...what she said to me... I... kinda got worried..." He waited for a reply; Giotto did not respond except focus his attention back to his front. _He's angry at me. I know it. W-What do I do wrong? _Tsuna was too afraid to ask. But he didn't have to.

"…As your Commanding Officer, I have to thoroughly remind you that you are not in any statutory position to make such brainless and dangerous risks to your own life."

Tsuna perked up at Giotto; who had not even looked at him but bent on staring at the fish tank full of multicoloured guppies swimming around in all sorts of directions opposite them. "….I…I'm sorry. For what I did back there, I'm…really sorry."

"You didn't think, Tsuna. You let brash and unintelligent thoughts cloud your judgement." Giotto reprimanded him, and Tsuna felt thoroughly ashamed of himself. "He could've killed you, if he hadn't been so…. fascinated by you."

At that point, Tsuna went bright red. "But… he could've killed Nagi…"

"Yes, and he could've killed you. You still can't jump into situations so quickly. Mukuro has the power to control one's mind. He could have been controlling her the entire time."

"What?!"

Giotto did not respond to Tsuna's outburst. Instead, he said, "Therefore, I have issued a transferral. Mukuro Rokudo will not be transferring to D Block tomorrow, and we will receive a different prisoner from a different Block in his place instead."

Was that even possible? Tsuna remained quiet.

"I have a responsibility over you, Tsuna. Ryohei and Yamamoto are my responsibility, too, but they are experienced in those kinds of situations." Giotto said sternly. "What happened back in the room when I wasn't there…"

"…I think it's my fault. He used me, wanting to escape..." Tsuna peeped out quietly to the older man, finally eliciting a response from Giotto; he had turned his head to the younger boy, still with his arms crossed. Somehow, Tsuna began to believe that Mukuro might had changed his mind about escaping; he also believed that this wouldn't be the last time he'd see Mukuro...

"It was no-one's fault. We underestimated Mukuro and his capabilities; it is something we will be prepared for in the near future. Prisoners are unpredictable and we have to be ready for the worst every day."

"I'm sorry. If-If you're going to punish me, I understand."

There was a brief silence, then –

Suddenly, a smirk had graced Giotto's lips, "Actually, I was going to give you a merit for your bravery, but since you insist on wanting to be punished so badly, then…" When he burst into abrupt laughter, Tsuna whipped his head up in shock, blushing furiously.

"E-Eh?! Giotto, how could you…??!" Tsuna cried out in shock, and then, he looked down at his lap, and squeaked out, "…So, you're not angry at me?"

"I was," He replied, his laughter subsiding, "But not anymore."

………..

It was five o'clock in the evening and Rokudo Mukuro was led into the Visiting Room by two anonymous guards with black hoods covering their heads.

The cameras of the room followed his every move, his every step, his every careful little motion, from the inhale and exhale of his mouth, as he was beckoned to sit down on the chair, and they lifted up the phone from the stand and pressed it to his ear for him; for his entire body was wrapped in a straitjacket, two buckles at the front, the rest resembled an Egyptian mummy's bondages. His legs and arms were sealed to his sides, his fingers strapped together underneath the wrapping. That strange apparatus over his right eye they forced into him – drilled through his skull to attach to some minor brain nerves - which he, or anyone else, wouldn't be able to take off except from the scientists - was just to contain his power during his time out until he returned back to the lab. Despite the unnecessary addition, he could see well.

And opposite him behind the glass, a young girl sat, waiting patiently.

Her hair was an intense shade of navy, purplish-blue of complimentary stature in contrast to her eyes, stopping just past her ears. Her neck was slightly bruised, with a few plasters over the gashes his sharp fingernails (which were cut and filed down now) had previously embedded into. Her head was also bandaged. She was on the phone on the other end, and he smiled at her, though it somewhat hurt, after his meeting with the Warden – his face adorning a combination of fresh bruises and lacerations.

They told him, two minutes.

Mukuro turned away from the men, to face the girl. "…I apologise." He said gently, his voice was surprisingly soft and kind, "I didn't mean to hurt you."

She could only gaze at him numbly; this would be her first time talking to him face-to-face. She had a rough idea his voice would sound the way it did; in fact, he was everything she had always been dreaming of: the way how he smiled, the way his hair swept over his back... She had a lot to ask him about, now that they finally had the opportunity to talk to each other, but now all the questions seemed to have disappeared from her mind. She was nervous, but otherwise, happy.

This girl, she smiled back at him. It was a modest, if not, sad, smile. Her hand curled tighter around the receiver, and then she whispered into the phone, "…It's okay. I didn't mind."

* * *

Well, there's the end to that; a sort of alternative way of how they met Mukuro, except Nagi/Chrome didn't have to lose any organs... and, I think the Melone Reformatory would be set in Japan. For some reason, after writing this chapter, I also can't seem to picture G27 anymore…:'(

Anyway, thank you very much for taking the time in reviewing, and thank you for accepting/understanding where I was going with regarding the flaws/mistakes I mentioned in the previous chapter and even pointing out some things I hadn't even thought about; I really appreciate it -- you guys are truly awesome :D


	5. Rookie Days are Over

**Homecoming**

-

-

Tsuna's First Day had yet to end.

Giotto decided that it would be better if Tsuna took the day off today but he protested that he really was fine and definitely not _mentally scarred_ from the encounter with Mukuro, therefore, he was then given a small list of errands to do instead; they split up on the way back; the Commanding Officer instructed Tsuna to complete those tasks before returning back to D Block for work rotation with Yamamoto, then Ryohei.

He rifled through the errand list – the first one was to find the equipment room and make a few copies of some prisoner's records.

He had then returned back to the East Division, after depositing his medication in his locker even though he insisted himself that he was fine, and made his way towards the Staff Headquarters, passing through a high bridge with glass pane walls that conjoined the East and the West Division together, and eventually arrived at the Headquarters, the same place he started off this exact morning, going past reception again, seeing the same guard who had to search him earlier on, too. The guard waved at him, and Tsuna cringed, then meekly waved back. The receptionist was missing from her desk, however. He went through the doorway that led to the Commanding Officer's quarters, going past Dino's room and realising that Giotto's room was also here, just a few doors down. It felt strange, now knowing where he was and what was here, since he had arrived at the Reformatory with completely and utterly no idea what was what and who was who.

Giotto had provided him with a map now, too. With the keycard neckstrap dangling around him and the map in front of his eyes, he was thoroughly reminded how his actions looked like the common tourist -- Tsuna gawked at the map and tried to pinpoint the location of the equipment room. Hmm. Turn right, then two doors down. The room was apparently just a few corridors past the Commanding Officer's section, then past the staff lounge and filing room, buried deep inside the administration office.

To Tsuna's surprise, the entire corridor of the administration's office was empty; and he made his way towards the equipment room and stopped before his hand reached for the doorknob, when his ears picked up a sound. A very faint sound. Almost inaudible. He had to stop and held his breath, just to hear it again. He looked back up. What was that? If Tsuna knew by now, curiosity killed the cat. Nevertheless, he slowly stepped away from the door and began to walk forward, down the empty corridor, listening as the peculiar sound grew stronger. He followed, and the harrowing screams grew louder.

Tsuna eventually found himself standing in front of an iron door, at the very end of the corridor, after turning left and right, so many times, he had already lost count. He probably couldn't even find his way back.

The sign said '_Only staff beyond this point_'.

He looked at the door. A bolted steel plate said 'Basement C. Entry Point 6.' The screams could be heard, emitting from inside. Perhaps it was a good idea to turn back and pretend he never heard anything. Tsuna's hand enclosed the doorknob regardless of his inner conscience that was constantly screaming 'Not righteous!' at him, and pushed down. The door opened, squeaking lightly on its hinges, and he let himself in. he wondered when he had become so nosy and mentally scolded himself. He was already here. Might as well continue on, and not look back. Too late for that now anyway. The stairwell was dark. He had arrived at an iron-corrugated platform – the kinds present in factories - where people could see what goes down below them, because the metal railing has holes at the bottom. However, all Tsuna could see, was darkness.

Except from the light at the far end.

There were three men. All Officers. They were standing in a semi-circle, in front of a man – a prisoner - who was chained to two posts, his arms and legs spread out, like as if he was frozen in a starfish-position. He was naked, his body slashed with blood; Tsuna could not see who it was.

In front of this man, the man in uniform - another Officer - who had his back to Tsuna, said calmly, "I will ask you this one more time: Where is it?"

There was a silence. Then – "I…don't know what you're talking about!"

A glimmer of silver came from nowhere, and Tsuna gasped when he witnessed a harsh blow slap sharply across the man's head, and he spat out blood. The Officer used the long, silver shaft again – which turned out to be a collapsible steel tonfa - and struck out at him again. The officer with the tonfas, he said, "I can keep this all day. So you might as well tell us what we need to know."

The prisoner vomited up a mixture of what was meant to be bits of his dinner, and blood. "I…I don't know anything – " He was rewarded with another assault from the Officer's tonfa, which emitted a loud 'SMACK!' when the metal connected with his skull, and he howled out in pain, then reared his head up, glaring fiercely at him. "You – "

SMACK!

"Go to hell – "

SMACK!

There was a brief silence, and then, another Officer, standing on the tonfa man's left, piped up, "Hibari-san, maybe he doesn't know anything – "

"Be quiet." snapped the tonfa man, then he promptly assaulted him with the weapon, too, a sickening crunch could be heard. Tsuna smacked a hand across his mouth, shocked, when he saw the poor man fly halfway across the room, his body thudding against the wall. What brute strength, he thought, feeling sick all of a sudden. How could members of staff attack one another??

The tonfa man turned back to the prisoner, who wasn't moving anymore. A few moments passed. There was still no response from the prisoner. "…Kusakabe. Check his pulse." He ordered coldly.

"Hai, Kyou-san." said the other Officer on his right, while the other had gathered himself up from the wall, cradling his broken arm.

The man named Kusakabe reported back. "…He's dead."

"……" The tonfa man named Hibari was silent; Tsuna swore he could hear him frown. Then he wiped at his bloodied gloves, with a small white cloth, and then wiped at the front of his jacket. Tsuna gaped when he held the cloth back - it was _completely _red. The tonfa man then tossed the cloth over the man's dead body. "Useless. Throw him into the incinerator."

Tsuna believed he had heard enough, and he turned round to leave, when -- the tonfa man had turned to his subordinate – the one who he assaulted - and said, "You forgot to lock the door." Then, he turned to the one on his right, "Kusakabe, someone has been watching us."

"On it, Kyou-san."

Panicking, Tsuna felt his stomach churn and he scrabbled back up to his feet, but he could hear the heavy clunking of boots thumping against the metal stairs, and he quickly dashed towards the exit, where the door was – but then he was promptly hauled back by an unseen assailant and he was shoved against the wall, much like the way he had seen Mukuro get subdued back then. He couldn't believe what was happening; he was then subsequently dragged down the stairs, towards the tonfa man at the ground floor of the basement.

"Sorry, kid," The man named Kusakabe whispered only for Tsuna to hear, "You just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Tsuna was then forced down on the floor; he didn't dare look up. He could feel someone glaring at him and kept his eyes trained down low, opting to settle his eyes at the man's uniformed chest and not look any further above his shoulders. He was taller, much taller, and wearing the same uniform as Tsuna, yet judging by the aura this man seemed to radiate; the overwhelming sensation of_ power_ and _superiority_, and, just like Dino and Giotto, he had a medal. No, not just one, but _four_. Tsuna had assumed he was a Commanding Officer, but now he wasn't so sure...

"…Don't you know that it's impolite to eavesdrop?" Tonfa man said, in that steely, devoid voice of his. "Look at me when I'm speaking to you."

Tsuna realised that this man may as well be one of those Commanding Officers Nagi had warned him about who were 'mean' and 'nasty'. Slowly, he looked up, and inhaled a deep breath at the sight. A deep frown was embellished on the man's gloomy, if not, handsome face; it was obvious he was not pleased with Tsuna's sudden intrusion at all. He was very good-looking, with angled features and cool yet distant eyes, which settled on Tsuna, who was kneeling meekly, too scared to move.

"You didn't knock." He said, and Tsuna was too astonished to reply. The man added, "Where's your Hall Pass?"

There were a few moments of silence. "H-Hall Pass?" He stuttered out, in mild disbelief. _What is this?? School?_

"Lowly Officers like you do not have permission to walk these corridors without a Hall Pass."

"I don't have one…I was just passing – I needed to photocopy these documents for my Commanding Officer, sir." Tsuna blurted out, clenching the folder of files that needed to be copied tightly in his small fist. He threw his glance to the prisoner, who was chained to the two posts and now only being supported by the chains around his wrists and ankles. His skin was bruised and bloody, a white, fractured rib was even jutting out. His head was drooping, eyes closed. _Dead._ Tsuna stared; he had never seen a dead body before. He could just reach out and poke him if he wanted.

"Where's your Identity card?"

It was then Tsuna also realised he had not had the chance to go for a matriculation session yet. "I… don't have one."

"What are you doing here?"

"I…I got lost."

"Lost?" The man frowned.

"This is my first day here, sir."

"…So, you are a herbivore." Concealed within his sleeve, the man unsheathed the much-feared, sleek metal tonfa which then slid under Tsuna's chin, lifting his face up to the man. Kusakabe, and the other subordinate, remained deathly silent and kept their eyes on the ground.

Tsuna's eyes momentarily widened as he stared back at cool, charcoal-grey eyes. _A-A what? He called me a what now???_

"Herbivore," The man said. Oh, so that was what he had called him. Tsuna re-confirmed that his ears were working perfectly; and he stared back at the man, blinking blankly, wondering if the majority of everyone who worked here were pretty_** and**_ weird. "I don't recall any positions available."

"…R-Reborn put forth my application…."

The man raised a fine eyebrow, which was mostly hidden by his hair, "…I see. What is your name?"

"S-Sawada Tsunayoshi, s-sir…"

"Herbivore," The man seemed to insist on calling him that even though he had just told him his name, and suddenly, Tsuna was grabbed roughly and felt his back smash against the far wall with a loud '_thump!_'; the cool steel of the tonfa was shoved over his neck and the man's face was suddenly inches from his, and Tsuna gaped at him in fright as he struggled to breathe, with the tonfa clenched over his throat. He pried restlessly at the thick shaft, but it didn't work - instead, the man applied further pressure down, effectively strangling the wind out of him. He hissed out, "You won't tell a word to anyone what you saw today. Am I clear?"

Tsuna thought he was beginning to see a white light as his face turned purple due to the lack of oxygen; all he could muster out was a weak croak, "Y-Yes, sir." _AHHHH! WHY IS THIS HAPPENING??!_

"I didn't hear you. Speak louder."

"Yes, sir!"

"….That's better." The man said, and he leant off his tonfa, letting Tsuna slide to the ground, rasping and gasping breathlessly for air. "Kusakabe, show him the way out."

……….

Tsuna meekly made his return to Cell Block D, and slotted his keycard into the lock, before shuffling inside the Podium and plopping himself down in one of the chairs at a random cubicle. Wow, what a day…He was held hostage by a crazy psychopath, he was almost molested… (actually he pretty much was), and then he just had to walk in during an extortion and issued a death threat. He felt the shivers once more and tried not to think about it.

"Sawada-san?!!! You're a hero!!" Ryohei had grabbed his arm and shook his hand furiously.

"A w-what?"

Ryohei let go of his hand, and it swung limply back to Tsuna's side, "A hero!! Everyone's heard about what happened in the Lab!! You fended off Rokudo Mukuro and saved the girl at the end of the day!! Well done! The only heroic thing I accomplished in my first day was fix the payphone all by myself!!!"

"O-Oh, ahaha…I'm-I'm not a hero…"

"Takeshi's been looking all over for you, too!" Ryohei gushed, swivelling round from his seat to face the exhausted boy before pulling his chair back to his own desk, dragging its wheels halfway across the floor, making a rather irritating, and shrill squeaking sound identical to fingernails on a chalkboard. Ah, Ryohei-san was as enthusiastic as ever, Tsuna noted; yet, all he had wanted was just a moment to rest. Some peace and quiet… Tsuna rubbed at his throbbing temples. Ryohei did seem to notice, "Are you not feeling well??!"

"No, I'm fine. Just need…to sit down somewhere…I'll be going now." Tsuna slowly pried himself of the comfort of his chair and left the Podium again. Something glittered on Ryohei's desk and he suddenly stopped. Then turned round. It was a picture frame. Inside, a picture of a girl. "K-Kyoko??!" Tsuna then squawked out loud.

Ryohei looked up from his keyboard and blinked at Tsuna owlishly, "Hm? You know Kyoko?"

"You-You're…"

"Kyoko's nii-san. How do you know Kyoko?"

"She…was in my school."

"Oh, but I've never heard her mention you before, Sawada-san."

Tsuna cringed. _Well, I've never heard Kyoko mention you, either! _Again, he slowly pieced two and two things together and remembered that he had not heard wrong when Dino had introduced him to his colleagues, and that Ryohei had the same surname as Kyoko, which was, _Sasagawa_. But…Ryohei looked nothing like Kyoko…. Suddenly, Ryohei looked up thoughtfully, then grinned bashfully to Tsuna and said, "Well…Kyoko and I were separated when we were younger. It's normal if we don't speak a lot about each other when in front of friends."

"But…. Why are you here? Like…here-here?"

"You mean, working as a Correctional Officer?"

"Um, yes…"

"Because I want to teach these people!!!"

"Uh, about wha – "

"Wait!! I am not finished speaking yet!!!" Ryohei yelled out excitedly as he held a hand out to Tsuna to silence him for the moment, now getting up from his seat in progress. His fists clenched tightly together and Tsuna backed away a little. Ryohei looked up at the ceiling; Tsuna followed the direction of his gaze, now wondering what they were meant to be looking at. "These men, Sawada!!" Ryohei exclaimed, and Tsuna swore he saw stars in the man's eyes.

Tsuna stared on. _W-What about these men??_

" – They haven't fully enjoyed life yet!!! They have not enjoyed the sport of boxing nor have they thought about the possibility to experience…. the EXTREME!!!"

"E-Extreme?" He didn't understand.

"Their passion, Sawada." Ryohei then said, in a normal tone, "They have not had the chance for their redemption - to find out their life's _passion_."

"Y-You mean… what life has to offer them, had they not come here? You want them to change their ways…by thinking about what they want can do in life??"

"EXACTLY!" barked Ryohei.

"…But would that work out…? I thought these people were in for life…"

"No, they are serving their tariff. Then, they are up for their parole, and if their behaviour during parole has been good, they can be released!!!"

"Uh…"

"But no-one has ever been released after parole… they always come back with prolonged sentences!!!" Ryohei looked sad for a split second, "…Even if this prison's goal has always been about prisoner's reform!!!"

"Oh…" Tsuna muttered out, still not completely understanding what Ryohei was actually trying to say, nor what the potential predicament might be. Why did he feel so worked up over this? Why the bad feeling in the pit of his gut? Nevertheless, Tsuna decided not to further pursue on the details of the sibling relationship between Ryohei and Kyoko for the time being, or the real reason as to why Ryohei was working here, and remembered what Ryohei had told him before.

Yamamoto had been looking for him. Tsuna trotted down… wondering what else could possibly go wrong in his first day.

The answer came when he turned to the left, trotted past the space under the stairs of the Podium. Two figures were bathed in the shadows, apparently locked in intimacy, or so the gesticulation of their body's closeness to one another suggested. Tsuna stared. One of the men had frivolous, silver locks of hair that just stopped at his shoulders. He was in a plain white shirt and loose pants, his eyes closed in deep bliss; Tsuna could not see him properly, for he was covered by the other man, who, if Tsuna had to admit, looked a little familiar, with the deep, dark hair and the Officer's uniform…

"Y-Yamamoto-san??!!" Tsuna's jaw had opened and fell to the ground.

The man stopped and turned round. The silver-haired inmate's eyes fluttered open, shifting to a stony, implacable glower. Ack! Two people glaring at him in the same day! Not good! Tsuna immediately turned away, sweating buckets. It wasn't his fault he just had to come across these… these…_situations _(!).

Yamamoto's eyes widened thoroughly in response, "…Ah…Sawada-san… You – " There was a deathly silence as the atmosphere between the three rose to tremendous heights of distended tension. Tsuna began to hyperventilate. The silver-haired man who was silently glowering at Tsuna, shoved past Yamamoto, and began to storm back out under the shelter, throwing Tsuna another lethal deathglare. "Wait, Hayato – "

"Shut it, Baseball Freak. We're done here."

Yamamoto stared on wordlessly, then turned back to Tsuna **(1)**. The boy irked in embarrassment and didn't dare look up at the taller man. "I-I….I didn't see anything!" He declared out loud instead, even though the first thing that shot to his mind was the urge to question why the silver-haired man had called Yamamoto a 'baseball freak'. "P-Please excuse me(!)."

Yamamoto watched on, slightly worried. "Hold on, Sawada-san – " He called out, but the boy only threw a glance behind his shoulder and smiled reassuringly at him.

Tsuna calmly walked out of the Cell Block, still smiling.

Once he was out; the smile completely vanished and Tsuna stood miserably on his spot whilst staring inertly into space, feeling a trickle of sweat running down his temple. His hands were cold and clammy, and shaking. He swallowed down yet another growing lump in his throat. Did he really see what he just saw there?!? But how could Yamamoto-san do such a thing? What about Dino-san's rules???? Relationships were forbidden, r-right? And-And then the punishment… What would happen to Yamamoto-san if he was caught? No, Tsuna rubbed furiously at his eyes.

He did not see Yamamoto kissing that man.  
He did not see Yamamoto with his arms around that man, either.

Tsuna inwardly cringed at himself as he chanted that mantra in his mind multiple times. But how could he deny what he saw? He was one hundred percent sure. It was not his eyes playing tricks on him. Ungh, this felt wrong. Tsuna swayed somewhat on the spot, feeling delectably light-headed and queasy; there was that horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach, and it wasn't his breakfast anymore. First, Rokudo Mukuro and his untimely revival, then the notoriously sexy tonfa man, and now this. He felt the entire room spin, his head swimming in disorientation.

Then -

"WRRrrrAAaaaAAGgggHHHHhhhHH!!!!"

And Tsuna was screaming, with his arms flailing in the air, as he ran all the way and back out of the reception area, dashing towards the gates. His mind set on the basics:

_Just keep running.  
Don't stop._

Once he stumbled back outside, he turned round, facing the building – its entire grey exterior seemed to be mocking him – he pulled at his uniform and rummaged his hands through his hair, wracked with confusion and plagued by anxiety.

_These uniforms… I don't deserve them! I feel so silly wearing these. And-And I'm…I just don't fit in here at all! I don't get it! I don't get them!!_

He gritted his teeth, then shook his head vigorously, untangling his hands back out of his hair. Taking off into a frantic sprint again, Tsuna then completely crashed into the locked gates, and grabbed onto the railings, his fingers looping around the mesh of the fence, shaking it to and fro viciously. He didn't care if there were hundreds of security cameras following his visage on tape, recording his every movement and sound. He didn't care anymore. He didn't want to be trapped here; working here was perhaps a fate worse than death. Although the attitudes of the staff here were friendly and he had never been treated with so much kindness and care, having lived a life back in Namimori as 'No-Good Tsuna'; the name was finally living up. He wouldn't be able to put himself through with this – he realised he would be no different than the prisoners – working here already meant full-time commitment, confinement and hell.

_I can't do it!  
__What was I thinking??!! _

_Heck, what was Reborn thinking???_

_I can't do this!  
__I can't stay here!  
__I want to go home!_

"GET ME OUT OF HERE!!!" He yelled at no-one in particular, his cries of distress were answered with the harsh rain battering his form, along with the sharp roars of thunder and the angry flash of lightning.

There was something wrong.

He knew it.

The bright and sunny reception room already told him enough that this prison was hiding something. And the Laboratory; they were speaking about it as if it was the most normal thing in the world, where they kept people floating in tanks filled with green fluid like freaking alien embryos and injected things that put their bodies on pause but they still continued to grow on the outside and then that man in the basement who kept calling him a herbivore, and-and then he was sure he saw Yamamoto-san lock mouths with that inmate and –

Tsuna stopped, looked up.

There_** was**_ something wrong.

There was something wrong with the staff.  
There was something wrong with the inmates.  
There was something wrong with this entire _prison_.

And Tsuna was now slap-bang in the middle of it all.

Breathing heavily, he wrenched himself away from the gate. _No! I can't admit defeat! Not yet... It's only the first day.... can't let what happened back there...get to me..._ He nodded furiously to himself, and smiled wryly at himself, then began to waddle back towards the Melone Reformatory. _Just calm down, Tsuna. It'll get better soon._

At that precise moment, something large and dark promptly landed on the ground in front of him in a matter of moments, and Tsuna screamed out, jumping back a few steps as the loud 'thud' rocked the ground he was standing on.

It was a man. An officer.

Tsuna whipped his head up – the floor the man had fallen off (or jumped off) was high. Very high. He stared on at the unmoving pile of man on the ground in front of him, horrified; the man's right leg was practically facing an impossible angle – and all of his bones could be broken. Tsuna's eye twitched when he saw something green leak out from his underside- and then – he looked down at his shoes – blood was trailing all the way to his soles. Uttering a cry of surprise, Tsuna leapt away from the blood and bounded up to the man, falling to his knees as he bent down to his level.

"A-Are you alright??? What happened?!" He squawked out helplessly, his eyes scanning the man – he didn't dare move him. It might hurt him even more, and Tsuna was not trained in this field of expertise.

The man lying crumpled on the floor opened his eyes groggily; blood dripped endlessly from his mouth, forming a pool around his head, his face cut up and bruised from the harsh impact of his fall. He was trembling, twitching from the shock of the impact, his clandestine ruby eyes searching upwards to settle on Tsuna's panicked form – he was still squawking and flapping his arms and shaking his head, his mouth moving up and down in shock. The man tried to move his arm, but winced, couldn't even mutter out a groan – his lungs were punctured by his broken ribs, bone fragments shattering into his organs. Internal bleeding.

"Don't move, I-I'll go get help! Stay there!!!" Tsuna cried out, but he was stopped in his tracks when he felt the man's arm finally grab at his own.

He turned back in astonishment, to see the man coughing up blood as he swerved his dulling eyes to Tsuna, "…It was....B...Byakuran...." He choked out through shards of broken teeth that had settled on his tongue, more blood teeming from his lips; his grip over Tsuna's arm tightened thoroughly. ".....It was_** Byakuran**_...all...all along..."

Tsuna blinked meekly. "H-Huh...? …Byakuran?"

"...L Block...Don't...Don't trust...anyone..." The man was staring blankly into nothingness as his jaw hung slack, tears streaming down his cheeks. "…I-I couldn't…stop him. For…Forgive me…."

Tsuna didn't understand, and he looked at the poor man's bloody arm over his, then patted it reassuringly and threw his glance back over his shoulder towards the direction of the Melone Reformatory, "Stop talking -- You're in pain! I'll find someone to help you out! Hold - "

Tsuna felt his blood turn cold, when the pressure on his arm loosened.

The man wasn't breathing anymore.

* * *

Tsu-chan's First Day at Work – End.

Poor Tsuna. Now someone's dead. I think I will refrain myself from using OCs, and if there will be OCs, they will have minor roles, because KHR offers an elaborate cast of unique characters already and I do not mean to offend, but I personally don't see a reason to specifically create OCs unless necessary. I'm not quite sure where I am going with this story and its characters, but Fran will take Mammon's place in this story, and I will also refrain from using bad language, unless in dialogue.

If you have any more questions, please do not hesitate to ask, or tell me your suggestions :)

Thank you for the very kind reviews; I have had a look through at my previous chapters and saw the Giotto part; I will try to edit it when I have the time. Unfortunately, I also cannot entirely promise 8027 in this story.

**(1)** Everyone will have their own 'story' which will outline why they are the way they are now, or at least, the major characters will. I'm guessing Giotto, Mukuro, Hibari, Yamamoto, Gokudera and Ryohei will have their own chapters dedicated to their 'story'. I already have Xanxus' written up and he hasn't even come out yet xD

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. There is more to come.


	6. Something Wicked This Way Comes

**Disclaimer:** I don't own KHR, but I do own Mr Yum-Yum.

**Homecoming**

-

-

**7pm. West Division.**

The phone had been ringing off the hook and he sighed, contemplating whether to ignore it or pick it up and get it over with. He let it ring for a minute or two, before giving up and hastily picked it up.

"Hello? I'm fine, thank you. And you, sir? Good, glad to hear it… Oh, the phone's been absolutely crazy… Thank goodness it's you. You heard? My, that is fast. It's only a matter of moments before the press gets a hold on this... I'm so sorry…. Ah, yes, Correctional Officers committing suicide in the Melone Reformatory has never occurred. It's usually the prisoners……

"Oh, you heard about that, too? Yes, Scarlet was found with his thumb, fore and middle finger of his right hand hacked off. After all… If you didn't have any fingers, how could you use _**ringboxes**_? It's a common method of extortion employed by the mafia these days….

"Hmm? Oh, right. His real name was Wilhelm Roenitz, came to Japan with his family. He was known as 'Scarlet' within the facility, you know, a nickname. Most of us have nicknames here. Scarlet… Well, he was twenty eight years old, tall and dark… Yes, it's a shock to the rest of the staff. I'm not even sure how to handle this myself….

"Employment history? Well… he was originally an Officer from L Block. He's been with us for three solid years in total; never asked for a promotion or anything. Had some trouble with some prisoners, but his record is pretty clean – but he also never exactly got on well with his Commanding Officer, so it seems….. Described by his friends as 'Nice, out-going and cheerful' ... I personally can't think of any enemies he might've had. He was a good man. He even has a child back at home.

"Yes, he was a single parent. His wife walked out after he got the job, and completely abandoned the daughter. He had to hire a nanny. Phoned and wrote to his daughter far more than other Officers. We just went through his belongings and even found a doll in his locker – addressed to his daughter – you know, those porcelain ones with eyes that follow you wherever you go in the room? Yes, those kinds. Antique. We found a few books, too, and a few journals, clean clothes, socks, shoes, toiletries. Everything else a man needs to survive here….

"Nope. Everything was there, accounted for. And nothing was misplaced, either. The guy had no motive to jump off the building; the security videos were all rounded up…. However, he was drinking – they found a half-empty bottle beside the spot where he apparently leapt off. Nobody else was there. ……..Yes, I know, the witness – poor boy, it's his first day here, apparently – he was even held hostage earlier on back at the Lab by a prisoner who managed to escape from his holdings; I know, today's a crazy day. It'll return back to normal tomorrow…. We're going to hold a funeral. We've sent a notice to his wife, but we've received no reply. His daughter? She'll probably go to a Children's Home… She's only four years old, turning five in two months.

"Anyway, the witness claims he heard Scarlet say something about Byakuran. Something about 'It was Byakuran'. But then Scarlet subsequently added something else, too, I heard. He said 'It was Byakuran…. _All along_'.

"See…? It does have something to do with Byakuran, but there's something else that is going on…. I can't exactly tell what, though. Oh, is that enough information for you, sir? Yes, the Deputy Governor will return soon, and you may speak to him as well…. Alright then, I'll call you again if anything else comes up. Thank you for calling, Governor, goodbye."

Without another word, The Chaplain put down the phone, leaned back into his chair, and cradled his head in his hands, sighing.

It had been a horrible day.

With the Deputy Governor 'missing' for the past few months, and the Governor away on recurring, brief business visits that he turned up at the Reformatory once in a blue moon, the Chaplain took charge over the Melone Reformatory's operations; it was normal, and an obligatory aspect of his job, for he was the next one in hierarchy, but today seemed to be more 'eventful' than most days. He couldn't wait to tell the Warden what had been going on; the man had been thirsty for blood to drop for some time now.

He was roughly forty something years old; having served in the prison for at least more than fifteen years. He'd seen staff come and go; it wasn't surprising if he was one of the longest members to have lasted a full ten year contract. He wasn't typically close to the youngest members of staff either, but he'd established his 'reign' over a reputation of respect and credibility. Being the Chaplain meant he had to stay at the Chapel most of the time unless he went out to the Library or one of the teaching classrooms; he held Church service every Sunday, 12 to 2pm, Confessions at the Booth started 3 to 5pm, Saturday and Sunday. Then during the weekend, he'd find and speak to prisoners at their cells as a means to check up on them and to see how they were doing. He'd listen to them complain or their request and try and sort things out.

He'd worked here long enough to witness a steady flow of relapse in prisoner behaviour over the few years. Criminals weren't willing to co-operate and the place was beginning to overcrowd because they kept returning back, even after _release_. The people here - he chose not to address them as prisoners or convicts – they all came from a variety of backgrounds; they had committed their fair share of crimes despite realising the consequences that followed, and were now repenting. The more people arrived at the Reformatory, and he'd listened to their confession in the booth, the more disappointed and distressed he became.

_Murder_. Always first degree.

_Rape._

_Drug abuse._

_Child abuse._

_Fraud._

Even _cannibalism._

Crimes were escalating. Becoming unthinkable. Becoming inhuman. Despicable. Unforgivable.

He prayed hard for them.

Even though he could tell that darkness in their hearts persisted. Knife culture, drugs, gangs and the temptation of power and wealth dominated these men, and for that, he was sad. What was going on in the world? What had happened to society? Education? Government officials? The system of justice? What had let these people down?

_Remember what the doctor said: Don't overwork yourself again like last time, old man._ He thought, as a clenching pain suddenly overtook him and he had to reach into his cupboard and pull out some pills, before stuffing two or three into his mouth and lifting the glass of water to his lips. Ah, that was better; a few moments later after a repeated routine of slow inhales and exhales, the cramping that had been present roughly around the left side of his upper torso began to grow faint. _Wonder how much time I have left?_

He glanced away from the clock on his wall, sighed again and looked at his agenda book, flipped it open and picked up his pen.

…_**.Recently, numbers attending Service are dwindling each week. What is happening? Are the people beginning to lose their faith? And if they have lost faith, then what, or who, do they look up to, now?**_

He heard a knock on his door, and looked back up, closed his book, put his tablets away from sight back into the drawer. "Come in."

The door opened, and an Officer marched in with a prisoner cuffed at the wrists tagging along behind him; a frail-looking, ashen young man with snowy-white hair and languid eyes, which opened to a very narrow extent as they scanned the room. He was alarmingly thin and his skin the colour of pale ivory. The prisoner looked at the man sitting on the chair behind the desk – an old man in a robe, with a stern face, greying hair and a monocle- and smiled at him. Immediately, the Chaplain felt a shiver run down his spine.

He cleared his throat regardless, and said, "I would like to talk to Byakuran-san alone, please."

"Yes, sir."

Once the Officer left the room, throwing Byakuran a warning glare before closing the door behind him, the Chaplain focused his attention back to his smiling companion opposite him. The man was sitting benignly in his seat, his eyes straying to the bowl of sugared candies on the Chaplain's desk.

"Help yourself."

"No, thank you." The young man named Byakuran smiled, holding up a handcuffed hand to further decline the invitation politely. "I have my own."

The Chaplain watched as Byakuran protruded out a bag of Mr Yum-Yum marshmallows, and began to dip his handcuffed hand into the bag, picking at a random piece of pink and white confectionary, and propping it into his mouth. At the same time, he took some time to marvel around the room; the Chaplain's room – the one highest in the tower. It was archetypal, concerning the interior, with it's light-brown brick walls, slanted roof and the four poster bed in the corner, properly made and done up with the curtains drawn. The door was heavy and deep mahogany, with rickety hinges with those old-style keylocks. The only thing that stood out of the antiquity was a ventilation system bolted to the far end wall, and an air conditioner. Bookcases scattered around the corners of the room, and a cross hung from the wall along with a small podium and candle stand, just beside the stained glass window.

Byakuran looked away from the cross, and settled his eyes on the other man. "…I did not know a room like this existed within the Chapel. It is quite lovely." He added.

The Chaplain blinked, as Byakuran had gestured to the flowers that were arranged fashionably and neatly in little multicoloured pots and troughs of all shapes and sized in the room. "They give people a sense of…. exuberance, in spite of what truly goes on in this place. And it makes the room smell nice." The Chaplain replied; for some unknown reason, speaking to this man directly opposite him made him uncomfortable.

"Very well said, Chaplain-san. The stench of the lies and deceit that hide within these walls are truly overwhelming."

He rather thought the rumours about Byakuran himself were _overwhelming_; gifted with keen insight and a sharp tongue, the face did not fit the image. He had to be honest, and admit that he could not understand how a man like him could have done all those terrible deeds. The man himself did not look frightening or intimidating, even if he did have that tattoo under his eye; the Chaplain noticed, his eyes curved up cheerfully whenever he smiled, pleasantly, and he spoke benevolently, very thoughtfully and gently. He didn't swear, curse or use any slang, and there was no evident hint of malice in his voice. Nothing. Yet, something about him disturbed the Chaplain.

He didn't know what.

Or why.

The man was doing time because he attempted to assassinate the Arcobaleno. He was the Leader of the Gesso, which had merged to become the Millefiore. With this new alias, they destroyed the Tomaso family, and hunted down other families – and before long; he wanted more. But… what could be more? Then they declared that his ambitions were becoming a threat; he had treaded into areas no-one dared, and they began to believe that he had gone too far. Even for himself.

Eventually, he was betrayed by his own people.

Whether or not Byakuran had his thoughts set on retribution, the man had thirty years to spare here in Melone, spent on looking outside his window, strolling in the courtyard and painting irresistibly beautiful landscapes of places no-one had ever seen before that could even rival Mozart. Then again, perhaps he had also spent time on formulating the ultimate plan, whatever the man was thinking of. The Chaplain had not seen what this man was capable of. Reading about stories, and witnessing them, was entirely different regarding circumstances.

The main question that baffled everyone was: How could Byakuran let himself be captured so easily?

In the Melone Reformatory, Byakuran was one of the prisoners who was generally 'obedient' and well-behaved during his first few days. Usually, new prisoners would be smashing things and screaming, cursing and displaying acts of aggression. Some even attempted suicide. He had seen the record; the man got on with the majority of prisoners once he was brought out of the Induction cells. Even the Officers began to like him, because he caused no trouble and managed to dissuade some prisoners who had been plotting to rebel against authorities.

_Heard the guy even folded up his underpants, tucked them under one arm, and when they showed him into his new cell, he took one look at his cellmate, and said 'Honey, I'm home'._

Byakuran said, "I have an important matter I wish to discuss with you, Chaplain-san."

"…Yes…?"

"One of my men has disappeared. He was last seen speaking to the Warden's Deputy, Tetsuya Kusakabe… He's been missing for five days."

The Chaplain looked lost. "I'll… look into that matter."

"Thank you." He studied the Chaplain carefully once his smile had suddenly widened once more, and said, "Shall I address you as 'Big Daddy', or will 'Chaplain' do fine?"

"_Chaplain_ will do, thank you…" He almost forgot the nickname the prisoners had come up for him, and felt a stab of discomfort swirl in his stomach. He took a deep breath and leaned further on his desk, deciding to dismiss that previous remark. "You do know why you're here, right, Byakuran?"

"Yes."

He waited; but it seemed Byakuran was not intent on replying. The Chaplain gestured on to encourage more words from the man, "…._And_…?"

The silence persisted regardless. The Chaplain could hear his clock ticking on the wall. Then -

"It is a shame."

"…Yes, and he had a child, too." The Chaplain added, sliding back into his seat that his spine rested against the chair's soft back.

"He was an honest, hard-working man."

"I just have a few questions for you, Byakuran. After that, you are dismissed."

"Very well."

"You knew him. _Scarlet_. You and Scarlet were almost joined at the hip, I heard."

"Are you suggesting something, Chaplain-san? You know very well that authority, occupational and social status plays an important role here; an inmate and an Officer cannot establish any other relationship." Byakuran spoke, yet his tone had risen to belligerent amount considerably, as he glanced off to the side.

"Yes, I know. What I meant was that before Scarlet took his own life, he was – " The Chaplain paused, then slowly slid his eyes back up to the man. He was still smiling. He had been smiling the entire time he had been here. He must know something. He must be hiding something. He knew he was going to be summoned to talk to the Chaplain about Scarlet's death, as Byakuran was an L Block prisoner.

Perhaps it was too early to tell Byakuran what the Chaplain knew.

"Scarlet-kun was investigating the suicides."

The Chaplain looked back up suddenly, surprised at the words that had left Byakuran's mouth. "….Suicides…?"

"I'm sure you've heard…. The increasing amount of prisoners found _dead _within their cells. Cell Blocks D, L, O and P. All suicides. The first one died by drug overdose. The next died by eating the dirt scratched under the tile of his cell. The next one after that died by stabbing a pen through his eye, entering his brain. The next died by suffocating on a piece of his shirt he rammed down his throat. And the next one after that died by drowning."

"…Drowning?"

"He stuck his face down the toilet and didn't come back up for air."

The Chaplain cleared his throat uncomfortably, "……Yes, I have heard."

"And then there was the recent one." Byakuran added; the smile had vanished for now, to the Chaplain's relief – the smile had disturbed him to no end, "My cellmate. He killed himself a few days ago by swallowing a razor blade. He made a mess of the room. The blood would take days to wash off. And the smell was unbearable."

"Is that why they're transferring you?"

"The inmates are also far too loud; I never had a decent good night's sleep there." Byakuran stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

"…And Scarlet was investigating the suicides?"

"Yes." Byakuran replied curtly, looking at his cuffed hands.

"I…see…"

"He asked for my co-operation."

Stunned, the Chaplain looked back up, gawping somewhat, "….He…asked _you_… for _**help**_?" He muttered out anxiously under his breath.

"He thought they were murders… Someone killing off prisoners in the dead of the night; which is completely absurd, because someone would have noticed..._right??_ Besides…they all left notes to those they left behind… and I witnessed my cellmate choking on the blade as it tore his windpipe from inside out. He was in a lot of pain. Scarlet thought I knew something."

_What's going on?_ The Chaplain thought.

"You're not doing a very good job, Chaplain-san." The man suddenly said, still gazing intently at the back of his hands, and then his palms, "…The men who had killed themselves were supposed to find hope within you. You let them down. You let all of them down."

"Byakuran, let's try and get back onto topic – "

"Haven't you noticed that there have been less and less people attending your Church service every Sunday?"

"Well, yes, but – "

"Then there is a problem."

"And what problem do you suppose that is?"

"You."

"Me?"

"They don't believe you anymore." Byakuran said, "You're losing your touch, Chaplain-san. This entire Reformatory has problems. Can't you see? Times have changed, Chaplain-san. You may think you know what these men are capable of, but I believe otherwise."

"Byakuran – "

"How old are you?" He asked, and before the Chaplain could reply (not that he was entirely wanting to reply to that), Byakuran added, "In fact, it doesn't matter what age you are. What matters is that you were born in a generation different than ours. Every prisoner here in the Melone Reformatory are at least young men barely the age of thirty to forty years. What you cherish as human values, we do not. What you believe in this Reformatory, we will therefore destroy."

The Chaplain watched on, silently stunned.

Then he said, "How long have you been here, Chaplain-san? Fifteen to twenty years? And you are forced to live with these men every day. Murderers, rapists, frauds, counterfeiters, terrorists, drug addicts, wife beaters, paedophiles… How could you put up with it? If I were you, I would wipe out this place, if I had the power. Destroy it. Destroy all those who have sinned. Wouldn't you think that you will be making this world a better place, where all the bad people are put together? It's even better than killing two birds with one stone. Do you not fear that one day, you will have become everything you swore you would not? Ask yourself, Chaplain-san: What are you fighting for? What are you still living for? What do you believe in?"

He took a long moment to reply, stuttering over his own words, "I…I believe in these men. I believe in reform. What about yourself, Byakuran? You're going to be here for forty years. Up for parole in eleven. How do you feel?"

"How I feel?" Once again, the apathetic smile replaced the previous hostile tenor of his face. "…I feel… _privileged_."

"You don't feel sorry for what you have done?"

The smile never went away. "No."

The Chaplain shook his head. He realised Byakuran knew more than he did, and that he could be planning something. He could have bad intentions. This man could put the Melone Reformatory at peril. "…They may still have a chance, Byakuran-san."

"No." He said, gazing squarely at the Chaplain, "You are no longer fit to tell them what they need to believe in and what they need to do in order to be forgiven."

"That is enough!" The Chaplain interrupted immediately, his eyebrows knitting tightly as he slammed his fist over the surface of the table, making the glass bowl of rock candies rattle within their wrappers; the awful feeling he had towards this prisoner had finally flew off the charts and he felt his blood boiling - he had rarely been stirred into a fit of agitation by a prisoner, and this young man, this delinquent _punk _who was still smiling spitefully at him from across the desk… "How dare you! You have absolutely no right! Just who do you think you are?!" The Chaplain barked furiously at the man opposite him.

There was a slight silence, then… the man began to chuckle.

"I…" He began, and he opened his eyes as the corners of his lips curled upwards considerably into a smirk. "I am Byakuran of the Millefiore."

The Chaplain stopped seething, and slumped back in his chair. He had never raised his voice towards a prisoner. Stunned, he stared at the man opposite him almost helplessly, ashamed of his own outburst.

"…And I will tell you this too, Chaplain-san." Byakuran added, his voice waving dangerously low, as the Chaplain looked back up at him, "Scarlet-kun took his life because he was afraid. He found out the truth and couldn't handle it." Byakuran's smirk grew as he then proceeded to slowly rise out of his seat, "Now…. I believe that answers all your questions. Am I dismissed?"

The Chaplain could not even blink, and finally, his clenched fists loosened, and he nodded numbly. "…Yes, you're dismissed…"

"Thank you, Chaplain-san. I had a _lovely_ time talking to you."

Once Byakuran was gone, the Chaplain sat still on his chair, listening to the clock on the wall tick. Then he took off his glasses, and lifted his arm from under the desk, to put a hand over his thumping heart, before realising his hand had been shaking the entire time. He took a deep breath, before reaching into his cupboards for his tablets again, swallowed two or three down. As he had calmed down, he picked up his phone and quickly dialled a number.

"Hello? Yes, this is the Chaplain speaking. I wish to hold an immediate meeting in the Conference Room at 9pm. All Commanding Officers must attend. No exceptions."

* * *

**8.40pm. East Division.**

The phone was ringing. He stopped readjusting his cuff link and walked away from the mirror, to his desk, and picked it up, having received a glimpse at Caller ID and realising it was an unfamiliar payphone number.

So he said, "How did you get this number?"

He heard a chuckle, and the voice replied, "You shouldn't be worrying about that, Warden." It sneered, "…How much longer are you going to keep this up, before you witness them fall one by one? If you are wise, you will stop _**interfering**_ with our operations."

"What do you want?"

"…This isn't a negotiation," The voice said, "…You killed one of my men, so I have returned the favour, and killed one of yours. Who will be next?"

* * *

Ah, okay, so this chapter explained a bit more of what is supposed to be going on. Tsuna will meet Byakuran soon, I promise.

Thank you for the reviews: lol, Tsuna won't go crazy (well, not yet). The dead man was an OC, I'm not sure if Mammon will be in this story, and I think it will be filler chapters when I go on to explain the background of other characters. And Lanchia will be in this story :)

Thank you again for the wonderful reviews and I will have another chapter up soon.


	7. Brotherhood

There is some G27 in this chapter because I was too caught up in 6927 myself when writing the previous chapters; I also hope this chapter will clear up a few questions.

**Homecoming**

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-

The Conference Room was ablaze with animated, excessive chatter and the Chaplain had to use the nearest object next to him – which happened to be the Prison handbook – and repeatedly thump it over the surface of his table. "May I have everyone's attention, please!" He was, however, thoroughly ignored.

Instead, the hubbub grew louder and he was sure he had never seen the majority of Commanding Officers so lively during meetings; the ones who were sitting nearest him were the ones he recognised -- Giotto-san was conversing amiably with Dino-san who was helping himself to some refreshments provided, while Lanchia-san beside him was busy drinking coffee while his austere eyes pinned firmly at the sight of Genkishi-san's eyebrows, and in response, the Commanding Officer with said eyebrows returned Lanchia's stony stare as he drank his own coffee. Meanwhile, Fon-san was busy taking care of a few fresh wounds on his arm with Shamal beside him busy sipping his own liquor from a flask he retrieved from his white coat, and Colonnello-san was engrossed in polishing his badge with a cloth. The Chaplain mumbled under his breath weakly. Argh, the new staff seemed so injudicious and young compared to the staff ten years ago. They also did not seem intent on quietening down.

Beside him, the Warden shifted in his seat, unsheathed his tonfa and slammed it hard on his table. The loud din was enough to make everyone quieten down immediately.

The Chaplain swallowed down slightly, "Erm, thank you, Hibari-san."

The Warden, however, remained deadly silent whilst averting his eyes from the Chaplain to a round, little yellow bird that had been sitting on the windowsill for the past few minutes since the meeting begun.

The Chaplain cleared his throat and turned to the Commanding Officers who were sitting in a 'U' position directly in front of his desk, which was shared with the Warden (as well as the Governor and Deputy Governor). "As you may be all aware of, we have lost a member of staff. A funeral will be held in honour of his name and services to this Reformatory, and those who wish to attend will be given their permits." The Chaplain explained, going through today's minutes.

There was a silence. All eyes were set on him. He watched them all warily in return.

"Ahem. Today, I wish to discuss Byakuran of the Millefiore, Prisoner 10027L and the number of suicides that followed his arrival to this institution." The Chaplain said, "I wish to remind you all that everything discussed here is strictly confidential and that it is an offense to reiterate any of the issues raised in today's meeting to any prisoner or subordinate."

"Yes, sir." The Commanding Officers responded in unison.

"Very well, the meeting will now commence."

Immediately, someone said, "Are you suggesting Byakuran was the cause of the suicides?" It was Genkishi. "But is there any evidence?"

"I do not doubt a dying man's words, Genkishi-san…" The Chaplain replied, "You are the Commanding Officer of L Block. Didn't you notice anything?"

"Byakuran is suspicious, yes." The man said, his eyes narrowing into slits. "Remains of a broken ringbox were found discarded on the showering unit a few days ago. It was a Mist attribute; I handed it to the Laboratory for analysis and we are expecting results in two working days –" Genkishi continued, "My Officers and I commenced multiple searches in his cell with and without prior notice. There have never been any illegal imports found. All I can suspect is that the prisoners are somehow practising ring activity under our noses, and that we should introduce stricter supervisory procedures."

"I see. What about Scarlet?"

"I was suspicious of his actions at first. He began to lag behind in work and asked the officers to fill in for him. Whenever we questioned him, he was evasive and my acquaintances had believed he may have been smuggling in the items for prisoners." Genkishi said, "However… I personally do not believe he is part of any smuggling business, nor do I believe he may have had any alliances with Byakuran."

"To be honest, I think that Byakuran guy is highly _overrated _and is the least of our problems at the moment." Shamal slurred out, shaking his flask when he realised it was empty, "I think what's wrong with this place are its terrible, unequal employment opportunities. There should be more _women_." He grinned at his own statement and chuckled, scratching at his goatee. He too, was also thoroughly ignored (and for good reason).

Fon, who had been applying plasters over his arm, paused in his action, and then promptly rolled his eyes before continuing where he left off, tending to a graze on the back of his elbow.

"Giotto-san," The Chaplain turned to the D Block Commanding Officer, "About the new recruit…"

"He was relieved of questioning earlier on. I brought along with the documents from the session." Giotto protruded out a manila folder, reached over and placed it on the folder box.

"Excellent work."

"I heard the new recruit was recommended by Reborn." Colonnello said absent-mindedly, replacing his badge back over the front of his pocket.

"Yes, that is correct." Giotto replied.

Another voice said, "And it is not because of the Governor's wishes, is it?"

There was a brief silence, and then everyone swerved their heads to the direction of the Warden. He hadn't even shifted in his seat but was now staring fixedly at Giotto. The Warden rarely said anything during meetings. The yellow bird he had been looking at had flown off its perch. The silence persisted, and all the eyes in the room then strayed to Giotto's direction.

"No, it was _mine_." Giotto said, looking directly at the Warden. "I need someone to take my place soon, and…although Ryohei and Takeshi are very reserved and faithful... I needed Reborn-san for external recommendations. Tsunayoshi has proven so far to be reliable and responsible enough. With proper training, he can perhaps achieve more. Reborn has also checked his background; he's completely clean."

"I saw him this morning," Shamal said, still grinning, "When you gave him the tour of the facility – remember? I saw you guys when you went to my Infirmary." At that point, all Giotto could do was nod, "He's not ready to run, let alone walk, by the way. I'm just saying."

A few of the men stifled in a snort of laughter while Giotto merely smiled wryly back at him. Almost at once, the Chaplain cleared his throat and flexed his palms under the desk. "…Now, now, gentlemen…" He began, "The Governor has not returned yet, we can't discuss these things without him."

"Shouldn't we be more concerned about this new recruit?" Genkishi began, "After all, with his arrival…Rokudo Mukuro almost escaped and Scarlet is dead."

Meanwhile, the Chaplain was inwardly wondering when the entire staff had become superstitious. The meeting continued; they discussed more and more topics, ranging from the lack of female workers due to Shamal's perseverance in raising the matter, to the food that was being served in the cafeteria, and even to the ever-increasing amount of complaints about _Window Warriors_ (Prisoners who yell at night deliberately). The sky was soon growing dark, and the Chaplain let out a yawn and checked the clock on the wall.

"Eleven pm. I think this has been on for quite enough now." He declared, he felt as though today was a good meeting and that something was being done already. "Meeting is adjourned."

The rest of the Commanding Officers silently left their seats and exited the room, making their way back down to the Staff Headquarters, still conversing privately to themselves.

"Wait, Giotto, I need to speak to you in private."

"…Yes, sir." Giotto remained in the room and the last one out shut the door behind him.

The rest poured back out and into the corridor. Dino was just about to step down onto the stairs when he felt an arm on his shoulder grasp impatiently. He almost leapt out of his skin, "You scared me, Hibari." He said as he spun around, to face the Warden.

"I need to talk to you." The Warden said, before dismissing his Deputy, Kusakabe, who then departed immediately down the stairs the same direction the other Commanding Officers went. Hibari and Dino returned back to the corridor.

"What's on your mind, Hibari?" Dino asked. This was certainly rare; Hibari hadn't spoken to him privately for a long time. He was on the verge of the belief that the man did not need him as his mentor anymore.

"…I didn't bring this up in the meeting. I got a phonecall. I assumed it was Byakuran's messenger." The Warden replied curtly, remembering the phonecall he received previously.

"_What?_ W-Why didn't you – " Dino spluttered, but then suddenly stopped and calmly added, "Alright… I think you should explain this to the Chaplain."

"No, not the Chaplain." Hibari replied curtly, "…He does not need to know that the interrogation was unsuccessful."

"…Interrogation? What interrogation? Hibari, you didn't…" Dino then cried out in alarm. Seeing Hibari's expressionless face, he shook his head and sighed, "You can't keep doing this, Hibari." He reprimanded him gently, "You can't do this and expect to get away with it. Someone will find out what you're doing. We need evidence, but we can't retrieve it your way. Byakuran is smart and will not yield to the usual methods. We have to outmanoeuvre him." Dino added, crossing his arms and placing a hand under his chin. "You're not thinking – "

"The herbivore."

"Herbi – Oh, you mean Tsuna? What about Tsuna?"

When Hibari's lip curled into a smirk, Dino grimaced.

"- You can't be serious... Don't even think about it, Hibari…He's next in line to be Commanding Officer of D Block. Giotto will not approve." Dino replied disapprovinly, "… Is…Is that why you are so interested in the new recruit?"

"Hm." The Warden looked away from the Officer, "…I just wanted to see what Giotto's successor has to offer."

"I wouldn't go there, if I were you, Hibari. You know how over-protective Giotto can be sometimes." Then, Dino laughed, "You know, I have never doubted Reborn's eye for uncanny ability. And neither should you."

"We'll see..." Hibari murmured under his breath, "We'll see."

……..

Back inside the Conference Room, Giotto took his seat back at his table and waited patiently.

"Giotto-san, I really do appreciate your services to this institution." The Chaplain said, protruding his pipe from his inner pocket and lighting it. He took one deep drag and whiffed out some thick smoke, "Even after your father passed away, you have been very loyal to the Governor. I can tell why he chose you to be his successor after he retires."

All Giotto could do was muster a coy, but affable smile towards his direction.

The Chaplain sighed and then took off his monocle, breathed at the glass and rubbed it with his sleeve before propping it back over his eye and smiling. "…Timoteo-sama told me to give this back to you." He settled down the pipe, then rummaged around the pockets of his robe. "Hmm, I'm sure I put it here somewhere… Ah, here it is… Er-hem. Since you have a new Correctional Officer under your wing, I think it's time I returned this back to you."

In response, he raised from his seat when the Chaplain held out a small velvet box, and prompted him to take it.

"This is…"

"Your ringbox."

The Commanding Officer stared wordlessly at the box in his hands.

The Chaplain smiled, "Unfortunately, he didn't give me any information on when to give you back your I-Gloves." And he chuckled.

Giotto's composed smile widened to a considerable extent. "Thank you, Chaplain. But what about the ringbox policy?"

"Ahh, well, the ringbox policy states that we are not allowed to use ringboxes against the prisoners, but doesn't mention anything about keeping a ringbox for sole training purposes. I do hope you start training again. I know the Warden has. You mustn't lose to him now. He's a good man, if not, a bit far too violent in my book - Besides, you never know what might come up these days." The old man sighed and stretched back in his seat.

"…This isn't because of Byakuran, is it?"

The Chaplain tilted his head down, peering at Giotto out of his monocle, and then shrugged flimsily and chuckled again. "…Maybe. Maybe not. All I know is…that man wants something from this place. We have to be prepared to defend ourselves when the time comes."

……….

Tsuna could not sleep that night.

Seeing a man fall to his death in front of him certainly did not ease his insomnia, nor did the echoing screams of the tortured prisoner back in the basement. Tsuna remembered how the rest of the day went – he spent hours in questioning, regarding the suicide. What did you see? Where were you? What were you doing? Did you see anyone? What did he say before he died? They'd asked that question over and over again until Tsuna practically fell asleep over the interviewing table. Then he was returned back to his cell - sorry, _room_ – which he shared with Yamamoto and Ryohei, without any food or drink; he didn't feel hungry or thirsty at all anyway, his primitive hunger needs usurped by something else - anxiety and concern. He knew, no matter how much he wanted, he just couldn't go home.

Earlier on, there had been a strange tension between him and Yamamoto too, and now the man was in charge of tonight's graveyard shift; and tomorrow, it would be Ryohei. Speaking of Ryohei, the energetic man had been quiet for hours to mourn the loss of a fellow Officer for hours, before finally settling down into his bed to snore frenziedly into the darkness, as Tsuna lay awake, haunted by doubts and twinges of discomfort.

"…Fish….cakes…" mumbled Ryohei in between well-timed snorts and snores. He tossed to his left in the bed, his hand gripping his pillow tightly. The volume of his snoring subsequently decreased.

Tsuna looked away from Ryohei's bed, which was to his right, and towards the direction of the window. Previously, Tsuna had been sorting out the belongings in his bag but could not find the heart to pick up is cell phone and call his mother, who had left at least ten messages on his voicemail inbox. He didn't want his mother to worry about him, or what really went on in this prison. His mother had been so proud when that letter came through; informing him that he had been successful and gotten the job.

Tsuna sighed. _But that's because Reborn helped me out. I didn't do anything._

"…Yeah, I know…" Ryohei muttered out blearily in his sleep again.

Tsuna closed his eyes, trying to blot out Ryohei's loud sleep-talking and snoring. This prison was strange, yes, and something was definitely wrong, yes, that too. He went 'nggh' and tossed and turned around in his bed, hiding his face under the covers and tucking himself into a foetal position. Remembering Ryohei's words from earlier on, he wrenched his eyes open, and finally sat up in bed, sweating.

_I'm not a hero. I can't live here. I can't work here. I just can't do anything right!_

"…Geez…Stop complaining…You look fine..." He heard Ryohei growl out; he could even hear Ryohei's eyebrows knitting together into a frown.

Tsuna sat up in bed. God, what on earth did Ryohei dream about? It seemed to correspond to Tsuna's thoughts (which actually scared him to some extent). He clambered out of bed and trotted to the window, pulled back the curtains. It was_ such_ a nice view, he thought bitterly to himself - He could see the sky, and that was about it. Over the horizon, the thirty-something foot high walls blockaded what might've been a beautiful landscape scenery consisting of trees and shrubs and bushes, but all he could see was grim barbed wire and those miserable signs, he could also see weird spotlights zipping along around the ground, all from the security tower at the West Division. Then he could hear the sound of dogs barking the distance, maybe guard dogs – and then he saw something else. Something… strange.

There was more than one.

They were identical to humans in term of shape, but also not. Standing at least seven foot in height, the strange human-shaped figures lumbered around clumsily yet silently, stopping in their march to slowly twist their heads left and right, before a whiff of steam ejected from their 'pipe mouths'. Then they commenced their patrol once again. Tsuna yelped out and scrambled away from the window. What on earth were they??! He ran out of his room and into the dimly-lit corridor, rushing blindly down the path when –

He bumped into someone. "S-Sorry!" He yelled out, as he bounded backwards until a strong hand on his arm pulled him back to stand on his feet.

When he looked back up, stammering out his thanks, he realised it was none other than Giotto, who had apparently been returning back to his room. They stared blankly at each other, and then, Tsuna glimpsed at his own arm, with Giotto's hand over it. The Commanding Officer let go, and Tsuna's arm stopped tingling due to contact. Giotto cleared his throat, and said, "Are you alright, Tsuna?"

It seemed everyone had been asking him that so many times today. Tsuna didn't even know how to answer to that anymore. He looked down at the ground, "……….N-No. Nothing's alright. This whole day has been…"

"Overwhelming? Too much for you to handle?"

He whipped his head back up in surprise. "How did you…?"

"…It's your first day, Tsuna. It's okay if you're feeling a little homesick."

"Oh…Yeah, I guess I am." Tsuna muttered out weakly, rubbing at the back of his bare, scrawny elbow. He just remembered that his pyjamas consisted of a white shirt with a Tuna-fish embroidered on it (courtesy of his mother's sewing skills) and grungy, dark blue pants which he hadn't outgrown since he became eighteen years of age, and here was Giotto, in a polished, black nightrobe with an emblem of a lion stitched on the front - and Tsuna was curious to see everyone's pyjamas now. "Well, I-I better go back…You just had that big important meeting and you're…going to sleep now, right? Sorry to bother you…"

"It's alright, I was just going to get something to drink." Giotto said, he held up his (apparently empty) coffee mug.

"H-How was the meeting?"

For a moment, Giotto hesitated to reply, then he said, "Good."

"Ohhh, it was… good. Okay. Good to, er…hear."

"Tsuna, is something…troubling you?"

He wanted to scream 'YES!', but alas, his dignity and character forbade him to (as well as a lot of other things Tsuna didn't have the courage to do – like ask Kyoko out on a date). There were lots of things Tsuna still did not understand, like what he saw regarding Yamamoto and that inmate, the basement encounter, why that man ended his life earlier on, and he even wanted to know more about Mukuro Rokudo, as much as he did not want to admit - but he knew he couldn't burden Giotto, especially not at this ungodly hour of….1am. Tsuna cringed as soon as he looked away from the clock on the wall. And when did his shift start? 7am? …Knowing Tsuna, he believed he'd have to drag himself out of bed again. "I saw…I saw these weird things outside my window, they were all down at the wall – "

"Ah," Giotto chuckled good-humouredly, "The Mosca. They are robots that patrol the perimeter of the Reformatory at night."

"'Mosca'? Oh, right…" Tsuna said, musing to himself for a moment, he decided he'd ask about the 'Mosca' later. "Giotto-san, I also have something else to tell you…if-if you don't mind."

"Sure. We can go into the staff kitchen to talk instead of standing around here." The man suggested as he looked around the dark corridor, "You can also get yourself a hot drink. This way, please."

Giotto directed Tsuna towards the kitchen, which was just through another corridor past the Commanding Officer's headquarters. The place was large, and empty - with the interior of a common kitchen – a fridge stood squat in the corner, beside it, was the sink and a trash compactor. A kettle was sitting on one of the kitchen counters, then a hot drink machine with beverage choices ranging from hot chocolate, latte to hot milk. A few rounded tables and chairs littered the rest of the space, and Giotto pulled out a chair at one of the corner tables, and Tsuna did the same to the chair opposite him. "So, what would you like to discuss?"

He thought twice about recounting the equipment room encounter. He didn't even have to think twice about what he saw regarding Yamamoto. If he mentioned anything, he'd probably get Yamamoto in trouble. But, the guy he was with was an inmate! Should he be worried? Suddenly, Tsuna found himself reluctantly dry of thoughts, and now he didn't even know the real reason why he wanted to talk to Giotto in the start. Why did he run out of his room like that, too? And why was the first place he rushed into, was the Commanding Officer's headquarters? He had been running towards the direction of Giotto's room, too! Tsuna flushed and began to sweat in his seat.

All he knew was…He just wanted to see him.

Tsuna looked back up dejectedly. _Well, he's here. And I'm looking at him. Now I don't know what to say. He's going to think I'm an absolute idiot. _"...A-About the man… who killed himself…"

"Scarlet?"

Tsuna nodded, "He was…an Officer from L Block, right? What he said about Byakuran – "

"The prisoners and officers here have all sorts of complicated relationships and alliances. Prisoners won't harass Officers, because they are aware of the consequences. We've had plenty of cases of prisoners getting harassed by other prisoners. They form gangs and even make their own contraband weapons. We have to keep reminding them that the authorities are in charge the Reformatory, not them. But you really have to watch yourself."

In response, Tsuna nodded vigorously in accord to Giotto's word. "Of course."

"Did you notice anything?" Giotto then suddenly asked. "…When you were with _Takeshi_?"

"...H-Huh…??" Tsuna squeaked out, his eyes widened to the size of plates. Maybe Giotto knew something. No, he couldn't tell him just yet, right? He didn't want Yamamoto to become one of his enemies. He should talk to him – yes, that's right – he should talk to Yamamoto about what he saw earlier on. Maybe they could work something out. Giotto was still waiting for a response; Tsuna shook his head abruptly. "N-No, I didn't notice anything. But I-I wanted to speak to you about…Well…Everyone's been…calling me a 'hero'. But I'm not." He said, "All I did was let Mukuro take me hostage."

Giotto's face fell, and Tsuna wondered if it had been a good idea to bring up Mukuro in front of him in the first place. "…Tsuna, you managed to keep a situation like that under control without getting anyone hurt in process. And it was also your first day. You had no prior training or experience whatsoever. Don't you think that's very impressive? Even for yourself, since you call yourself 'No-Good'?"

"I…I didn't think about it that way."

"Tsunayoshi, how could you call yourself 'No-Good'?" Giotto uttered and Tsuna blushed slightly. "There's no such thing as being 'no good'. Perhaps you just haven't discovered where your true talents lie yet."

"Probably." He replied, "If I died back then…I...I thought… No-one would care."

"But you saved Nagi; I'm sure she cares for you. And Reborn cares you. Dino cares for you. Takeshi and Ryohei care about you. I care about you." Giotto let out another chuckle, "And I'm not saying that to make you feel better. I'm saying that because it is a fact. All the staff members here look out for each other."

At that point, Tsuna looked up, blinking meekly. _Yeah, except from that crazy tonfa man_, he thought. But he couldn't help but blush at Giotto's words. A smile then crept its way slowly across his face, which then grew into a wide grin.

Giotto noticed and smiled back at him in return, "I'm going to get some water. Do you want a drink?"

"Ah…um…hot chocolate, please…Oh, and, er, thank you…" Tsuna piped up at the Commanding Officer, still flushing embarrassedly to himself. He could tell why he felt so at ease whenever he was with Giotto; the man had a way with words and Tsuna liked his kind and gentle demeanour. It was surprisingly nice, for someone who was like that in a place like this. And he had been worrying that all prison officials were spiteful, malicious beings.

Giotto got up from his seat, but then paused. He sat back down.

"What's wrong?" Tsuna asked anxiously.

He threw a glance to the side, then back. "…I want you to promise me now, Tsuna."

"Yes?"

"You have to promise me that you won't investigate Scarlet's death, alright?"

He nodded. "…O-Okay. I promise."

Giotto opened his mouth to speak again, but then decided against it and got off his seat once more. Tsuna watched him worriedly. Giotto walked up to the hot beverage machine and plucked off a polystyrene cup from its stand for Tsuna. He pressed on the button and waited for the cup to fill up, before remembering he had forgotten to ask if Tsuna had wanted extra sugar or milk. He left the cup and his own mug sitting on the countertop, and returned back to their seats, where Tsuna was now sprawled over the surface of the table.

"Tsuna?!" He yelled out in alarm, rushing back to the boy's side and kneeling down, only to realise that Tsuna had merely fallen asleep with his head lying over the tabletop with his arms spread out, now drooling slightly from the corner of his mouth. Giotto blinked, then slowly stood back up, watching the sleeping boy. Then, he let out a low chuckle, brushed a hand through his hair.

He looked around for a brief moment, then reached over, and picked Tsuna up. He was not-so-surprisingly light in his arms, and Giotto hoisted the boy over his back, letting his knees slide over his arms and Tsuna's arms to wrap around his neck. The boy almost strangled him, and he had to loosen the grip; Tsuna seemed to comply regardless when he got back up, adjusting to the extra dead weight on his back, and smiled, when Tsuna had now automatically buried his face into the crook of Giotto's neck.

"Alright, Tsuna, hold on to me tight. I'll take you back to your room…"

"MmMMmmm, oh yeah, yeah… sure…" Tsuna mumbled out groggily under his breath, grinning sleazily, still salivating from the side of his mouth. But his arms tightened around Giotto's neck.

Giotto took one step forward slowly, and then another, in case Tsuna fell off. The boy stayed put, still with his arms slung around his neck, attached to the older man instinctively. They made their way out to the corridor slowly, passing Dino on the way out – the man had just come out from the shower, as he dried his wet blonde hair wet that were plastered to the sides of his head with his turtle towel **(1)**. He abruptly stopped in his tracks, and stared at Giotto, with Tsuna perched on his back. "Giotto, what are you - ?"

"He's asleep."

"Oh. Newbie jetlag. That's cute." Dino mused as he lopped the towel over his head, while leaning against the wall, giving way to Giotto and his extra passenger. "He'll adapt."

"Where's his room again?" Giotto asked, a little sheepishly with a helpless smile playing on his lips.

Dino grinned, and pointed down to the Officer's quarters. "Down there, second door to the left."

"Thanks."

"No problem. See you in the morning."

Giotto and Dino separated ways, and once he arrived outside Tsuna's room, which he shared with Ryohei and Takeshi; he inched an arm out and jerked on the doorknob. He stepped in; hearing the loud snores of one of his subordinates fill up the entire room. So noisy… Giotto wondered how Yamamoto put up with it, then ultimately realised that Yamamoto was doing the graveyard shift at the moment so he generally avoided sleeping in a room with Ryohei altogether. Wise move, perhaps, as he glanced over his shoulder at Tsuna.

He scanned the room - then spotted one messy bed, with the covers kicked off and the pillow askew, and realised this was probably Tsuna's bed. He walked over, and then let Tsuna slide off him – which proved a handful as he had to peel Tsuna's tentacle arms off from around his neck. Once the boy had plopped down over his bed, he had impulsively wiggled over to his pillow and clutched it to his chest, smacking his lips and rubbing his cheek against the soft material.

Giotto watched Tsuna then organise himself into a sleeping position, and even pull the covers over him, then briefly wondered if the younger man had even been asleep the entire time he carried him to his room.

Amidst Ryohei's loud snoring and droning, Tsuna muttered out blearily, "Goodnight, Giotto…"

At first, he didn't know whether to reply or not and could only gaze indifferently at Tsuna as he writhed around until he eventually buried himself to a comfortable position on the bed. But then - "Goodnight, Tsuna." He muttered softly, returning to the doorway and closing the door behind him. And suddenly, Giotto was hit with a pang of guilt.

* * *

I'm sorry there was no 100 x 27 in this chapter either :( I have the feeling that I have triggered more questions than provide answers o_O Lol Byakuran is like Hannibal Lecter, ne? Poor Chaplain became Clarice Starling for the moment there xD Indeed, Irie will have a role in this story; if you are curious, Timoteo is the Governor, and the Chaplain was actually meant to be Simora (lol). I don't want to give everything right away though; it's only Chapter 7.

**(1)** This part was a bit pointless, but, Dino has a turtle towel in this story. A tribute to Enzio. It is basically a light green towel with a turtle stitched on it.

Please REVIEW!


	8. An Angel in Hell

Okay, so here are **WARNINGS** I can think of so far:

Shamelessly strong language  
Graphical Violence  
Some crude humour  
Gore  
Murder/Suicide(s)  
OOC  
LWP (Lime without Plot which may escalate to PWP)  
Randomness

Byakuran comes out in this chapter! I'm so sorry for the wait. You have been very patient with me -bows- I salute you.

**Homecoming**

-

-

Tsuna was too afraid to approach Yamamoto the next day.

Nevertheless, as soon as he stepped in to officially begin his first shift, Yamamoto had been standing quietly behind Tsuna while he clocked in and scribbled his name in on the form. To grab Tsuna's undivided attention, Yamamoto politely cleared his throat. Tsuna leapt and the pen shot out of his hand and clattered to the floor, if Yamamoto had not caught it in time. The younger man stared limply at the man and inwardly cursed at himself for the uncool manoeuvre. Yet, Yamamoto flashed Tsuna a reassuring grin and handed the pen back to him.

"Um, thanks…" Tsuna uttered, propping the pen back into the stand.

"No problem."

And…

...cue awkward silence.

Yamamoto and Tsuna stood uneasily beside the other. And this time, it wasn't because of the difference in height.

Immediately, Tsuna thought he might at least try and say something, to bring up typical conversation in a desperate attempt alleviate the uncomfortable ambience that was already building up between them, "Uh…Y-You do the graveyard shift, right?"

"Yes, to avoid Ryohei's snoring, haha…" He let out good-humoured laughter, and Tsuna smiled awkwardly in return. At least Yamamoto was co-operating. "I'll be going to sleep in about ten minutes. But, uh… Listen, Sawada-san. What you saw yesterday…"

"I didn't see anything."

Yamamoto laughed, and patted Tsuna's stiff shoulder. "It's alright, Sawada-san. I know your intentions are well, but I really need to talk to you."

Tsuna squinted at him nervously. "…Who is he?"

In response, Yamamoto looked around warily, then - "Follow me." He had quickly protruded out his keycard, unlocked the gate, and made his way down the stairs. Tsuna followed suit, and they stopped in the dark gap under the stairs. Yamamoto lowered his voice, and Tsuna had to lean in to hear. "Gokudera Hayato. Prisoner 80592D. He's up for parole in ten, having done seven years already."

"Seven??"

"Yeah."

"And you – "

"I came here roughly the same time he arrived, yes."

_Yamamoto-san had been with this Gokudera Hayato for seven years…._ Tsuna blinked in awe, "So what did he do?"

Yamamoto looked away, rubbing the back of his neck while grinning awkwardly, "He, err...He tried to blow up his family. I think he's tried it more than once – but by that time, he got caught - They said he would be a threat to the public, and…his capabilities of escaping from a normal prison would be high, so they've placed him here." At that point, Tsuna instantaneously felt a trickle of sweat run down his temple upon hearing those words. "It's alright." Yamamoto confided to him, "He's harmless, but he tries to look scary. He hasn't seen a stick of dynamite for years."

Tsuna deadpanned once more at the taller man. "T-That wasn't what I was entirely worried about, Yamamoto-san…"

"Oh, you're thinking of the whole 'No relationships with prisoners' thing, right? Well…" He looked away, crossing his arms over his chest and putting a hand to his nicked chin as if in deep thought, "…I don't care about that."

"Y-You don't care?! But what about yourself? Your job? You'll be in deep trouble! And what about Giotto-san?? His authority, his credibility will be questioned, if he lets this matter slip from his hand…" Tsuna squawked, and Yamamoto had to press a palm over his mouth.

"You've not told him, have you?" He enquired, a little frantically, as he lifted his hand away from Tsuna's mouth once the boy had quietened down.

"No. I... I needed to hear your side of the story, too."

There was a brief silence. Yamamoto looked stunned, "….Thank you, Tsuna." He muttered out, and Tsuna could tell he was truly genial with those words, "I…really like Hayato, you know? We've had so much history together… I've stuck by him for so long; I can't bring myself to leave him."

Tsuna watched him, then swallowed down and smiled in spite of himself. "But, Yamamoto – "

"Call me Takeshi. Takeshi is just fine."

"Err….Takeshi, if…you don't mind me asking, how would..._how would_ _it work out?_"

"I don't care. As long as I'm with him, I don't care what happens."

"But…how could you keep it up?"

He shrugged lightly, and this worried Tsuna to some extent. "You can help keep a look out. Would you… do that for us? Would you… help us?" Yamamoto added, looking at Tsuna questioningly, and the boy's eyes twitched as he remembered Giotto's words vividly – _"Don't burden yourself with things that are not your responsibility." _

Ack! Tsuna paled drastically. Now what? He bit his lip, nibbling down acutely, then - "….Yeah." Uh-Oh. Gokudera Hayato was up for parole in ten years, having already done 7, right? Had Tsuna unwittingly signed a 3-year death contract?

Yamamoto's expression cleared up, and potentially brightened up, too. He patted Tsuna's shoulder again, this time with much more vigour. "Thanks, Tsuna. Giotto was right about you. Phew, now I can sleep with a clear conscience. Thanks again, Tsuna." Yamamoto said, grinning widely now, and Tsuna couldn't help but flash him a toothy, awkward grin in response – the man's grins were effectively contagious. "Oh, and by the way, Rokudo Mukuro's made a request this morning."

That wiped Tsuna's grin off his face. "R-Request? What request?"

"Didn't you hear? He requested to be transferred to D Block again once he comes out from The Hole. It's been approved."

"Approved? But I thought Giotto…"

"Um, actually, it had been refused in the first place anyway." Yamamoto replied and Tsuna blinked meekly at him, "I mean…The Deputy Governor refused the transferral of Rokudo Mukuro to another cell block. So… he's going to be stuck with us. For a _long_ time."

"Deputy Governor? That's Reborn, right?"

"Yup."

"Is he back?"

"I heard he's on his way here, yes."

"And he refused Mukuro's transferral?"

"Er...That is what I just said, yes." Yamamoto chuckled, "What's wrong, Tsuna?"

"Oh. Nothing." Tsuna gave him a wide smile, then turned away from Yamamoto and gnashed his teeth together, his fists clinching tightly. Damn it, Reborn was out to get him!!!

"Oh, wait, before I forget -- Here, Giotto told me to give you this. It's a form for registration; fill in your details, and then go to the Finance Office; you can get your picture taken there. It'll only take about five minutes, then you can quickly come up for queue control. You remember where the cafeteria is, right?"

Tsuna nodded.

"Okay then. See you later, alright?"

"Sure."

Without another word, Yamamoto handed Tsuna the form and was plodding out of the Block while Tsuna was on his way to the Finance Office to finally retrieve his ID card. Once he arrived, he filled in his details and handed the nice receptionists his form. He had his fingerprints taken and then they ushered him into a room with a blue background for the photo - he carefully smoothed down his hair and scrubbed at the corners of his mouth, rubbed at his cheeks and scratched the sleep out of his eyes, patted himself and made sure his uniform was in good order.

The man standing behind the tripod turned to Tsuna, who stood stiffly against the blue background, "Okay kid, I'm gonna take the picture now. Oh, before I forget, smiling is forbidden and make sure there are no hair covering your eyes."

He nodded numbly and moved away a few stray hairs before facing the camera. "Is this okay?" It's a shame smiling was forbidden. Sigh.

"Sure. Alright then, brace yerself, kiddo, and three…two…one…" The man pressed down on the button and a brilliant flash flooded Tsuna's eyes and he was left a stumbling wreck on the ground, having to hold onto a nearby stand for support.

The photo developed onto the card and Tsuna looked at his new ID card disdainfully. He looked weird, that was all he could say. He didn't realise his face was so pale nearer the sides of his cheeks and his nose was a rather brownish colour. Even his neck was a different colour than his face. He didn't know he could look so estranged in different regions of his face. Compared to the other officers, he figured he must be pretty ugly. Tsuna felt low all of a sudden. He never liked taking photos and thought he looked better in mirrors than actual photographs.

Once that was over, Tsuna lumbered down the corridor from the Finance Office and back into the West Division, arriving at the West courtyard, a large spacious area covered in luscious green grass with benches and all sorts of flowers meant to calm down visitors and prisoners. He passed down without slowing down, and looked up – and he was surprised to see that it was rather devoid of human presences, for he saw no-one except from an old man dressed in a white shirt and dark slacks near the far end of the garden, standing under a tree with white flowering blossoms.

_Could be a visitor_, He thought, peering at the man's back cautiously as he halted in his pace. He looked around again, then made his way into the garden. "Excuse me, sir, are you lost?" Tsuna cleared his throat as soon as he approached him carefully, and the man turned round.

Then Tsuna stopped, and stared.

The man was not an old man. His hair was indeed, an endearing shade of snowy white, but he was young. Fairly young, he might add. Maybe older than him two or three years. The man smiled politely at him and Tsuna felt sheepish at his previous assumption, and returned the gesture awkwardly, the angle of his lips pulling up into a silly smile. He couldn't stop staring; something about this man was very airy…very ethereal, delicate, and so very…_beautiful_. He was rather pale under the sunlight, but not enough to be deemed sickly, and Tsuna's eyes traced the rugged outline of the man's jaw and those sharp, educed eyes and the thin, but kind smile. The man was perfect, with gaunt cheekbones along with that comforting, gentle demeanour. Something about him nagged Tsuna's mind, but he dismissed it.

For some reason, the way how this man smiled reminded him of Rokudo Mukuro, but batted that thought away. This man was almost… angelic. Mukuro was, well…not an angel. He didn't know what Mukuro was.

The angel's lips moved. He had said something.

Tsuna was numb all over; mesmerised by him almost at once and spent a few minutes gawking. "I'm sorry, what?" He uttered out distractedly while he stared at the slim, luscious lips and the tongue that moved between them.

The lips moved again, and Tsuna distinctively made out, "Were you drawn here by the aroma of the flowers?"

"Eh?" Tsuna snapped out of the daze that had elicited within him from nowhere, and stepped back, looked around and realised that he was indeed, surrounded by flowers and their aroma had some kind of luring effect on him, "Oh...I thought you were…a…a… visitor." He took a big whiff and his nostrils were attacked by a sweet, sweet saccharine fragrance. He took another long inhale, and exhaled dreamily, blissfully. He didn't know a place like this could exist in a prison.

"No, I am a prisoner." The man said pleasantly, as if this fact did not prove to be an inconvenience him in any way at all.

There was a silence.  
A very long silence.

Then Tsuna managed to stutter out, "…You're a prisoner? Here??"

"Yes."

Surprisingly enough, the first thing that jumped to his mind was disbelief. Tsuna could not believe it at all. This man could not be a prisoner. He was far too beautiful to be locked behind bars! It was an abomination for such a delicate creature to be caged in such a horrendous place like this! It was then Tsuna wondered why, and when, he had begun to think like this.

"…Does that bother you, Officer?"

"Hrm?" Tsuna turned back, "…No, it does not. Not at all. Mmm…" He felt sluggish all over again, numb and lethargic… and swayed slightly on the back of his heels, as if he was floating on water. Somehow, standing under the shade of the tree while its petals fluttered around the two made Tsuna feel…content yet…sleepy at the same time. He could just curl down, under the sun, and close his eyes…and sleep.

"Do you like flowers?"

Tsuna nodded, then shook his head, then nodded. Then he sneezed.

The man chuckled and Tsuna felt a strange lack of clarity loll all over him again. He didn't understand why. Standing here felt like a bizarre out-of-body experience. "I see. If you understand flowers, their colours and the meanings they exert… I think you would like them."

"I do like flowers…" He muttered out huskily as he held his hand out, a white petal popped off a tree branch and had landed delicately over his palm, "I like…this flower." The petal blew away immediately and he dropped his smile. He didn't even know why he was suddenly acting this way. It was terribly out of his character, however. He was possibly making a fool out of himself without even realising!

The angel man smiled again. "Give me your hand." He instructed lightly.

Tsuna looked at him rather frightfully and shrivelled back.

"Don't worry," said the angel man, chuckling at Tsuna's sudden wary response, "It's alright. You are quite safe."

It felt odd hearing that from a prisoner's mouth.

He said, "I won't bite; I _promise_."

Tsuna swallowed down quirkily, but then the wind blew in his face, and he was assaulted again by more flowery aromas and petals from all sorts of flowers that must have elicited the drowsy sensation; he also remembered his lack of sleep last night so that may have been another factor. He couldn't help but adhere with a pensive expression on his face.

Ahh, what the heck. The angel man seemed harmless enough and it didn't look as though he was hiding a hidden blade up his sleeve, ready to lunge and stab at Tsuna any time now. Tsuna shamelessly stuck out his hand.

The man had pressed a white flower into his open palm. Tsuna looked down and blinked inquisitively at it, and then gaped back up at him.

"That is a Camellia flower." He explained, "…If they are given to someone, it means they are adorable."

At first, Tsuna's heart thundered like mad and he couldn't breathe properly except let out a few astonished gasps, but then, he let out a snort of roguish, leery snicker and shook his head at the man. Him? Adorable? He guffawed helplessly, clutching at his stomach and bent over, flapped his palm at him. Then managed to stop himself in time and stood back up straight, "Er-hem. I'm sorry, I mean… I – " He blushed when the man's gaze on him did not falter in any way. "…Thank you."

"You're welcome." The man looked to the side, where the same type of flower was blooming in a patch, but a strong, carmine hue, "…Red Camellias mean unpretending excellence. Camellias usually symbolise gratuity and perfection."

Tsuna looked dumbly at the flower at his hand, then looked back up at the man and squinted an eye at him. "…Do you know what kinds of flowers are in this garden?"

The man smiled at him and nodded gently, "Yes. Would you like to learn their names and meanings?"

"Uh…well, I should really be heading – "

"Of course – "

"No, wait, I want to know. Yes-Yes I want...I want to know." He quickly butted in shamelessly. Tsuna figured that maybe he could learn about some flowers and buy some from the florist in the Visitor's Centre for Kyoko if he had the time.

The man chuckled at his enthusiasm. "Very well. Come with me."

Tsuna nodded and followed the man, who began pointing out several types of exotic flowers as they moved around the garden, Tsuna didn't even realise there could be so many types in this reformatory.

The man gestured to another hedge to their left where an abundance of multicoloured flowers were growing under the shade of the tall, white flowering tree, "Forysthias mean innocence and anticipation. Orange Ascelpias indicate prudence, and dignity. Eryngiums represent austerity and independence. Amaryllis characterizes pride, timidity and splendid beauty."

They moved on; Tsuna tried to keep up.

The man gesticulated to another side of the garden, "The Chamelaucium flower represents susceptibility. Blue hyacinths connotes constancy. Jonquils embodies desire. Lathyrus means departure, and blissful pleasure. Snapdragons correspond to deception and presumption and yellow roses signify friendship, and joy."

Tsuna didn't know if he had remembered any of those names and meanings. All he remembered was that he had spent the past few minutes staring at the man endlessly and wondering how anyone could have such a chiselled jawline like his.

"Some flowers have messages, like red roses, which obviously means 'I love you'. Red tulips mean 'Believe me', and yellow carnations mean 'You have disappointed me'."

"Oh…" Tsuna mused, placing a hand under his chin. "…Intriguing."

"There's the East Courtyard, if you would like a tour there."

"… Maybe some other – "

"Ah! There you are." Another voice sounded off from the side and they both turned to the newcomer. He had a mop of reddish-ginger hair, rimmed glasses and black t-shirt and dark tracking bottoms. He looked awfully weary and dishevelled, sweat dripping off his temples. He stopped shortly in front of them, panting breathlessly, "I've been looking all over for you – "

"Shou-chan, can't you see I'm with someone at the moment?"

The man blinked behind his glasses, then – "Oh, right," He flicked his glance to Tsuna then back, "My apologies, but…" He threw his head to the left a little and Tsuna wondered if the man in glasses had a crick in his neck or something.

The angel man watched him acutely, then sighed. "…I see." He turned to Tsuna, smiling pleasantly as ever, "Please excuse me, I'll be taking my leave now. Thank you for keeping me company."

Tsuna swallowed down a little, "Uh…No problem…"

"Your name is Sawada Tsunayoshi, right?"

"How'd you – "

"It was on your ID card." The man smiled at him good-humouredly, gesturing to himself and Tsuna looked down at himself, where the matriculation card he received prior this meeting was hanging off from his neckstrap.

He cringed at his own photo.

"Tsunayoshi-kun, I hope we will see each other again soon."

"Yeah…" He croaked out. Watching the men's retreating back, Tsuna was left to sigh a little and stare down at the flower that was still enclosed in his palm.

That wraithlike encounter with the angel man had him tingling all over and feeling surprisingly refreshed, ready to go on with the rest of the day. He snapped out of his musings immediately and looked around himself blearily. Uh-oh, he thought. What was this Cinderella feeling he was experiencing at the moment? He looked down at his palm; no, it was not a glass slipper, but he held it delicately as if it might as well had been one. He fingered the petals gently and then remembered he had not asked for a name.

…………..

Back at the Cafeteria, he forgot his meeting with the angel man, had a look at what the prison was serving to the inmates, and inwardly shuddered.

What looked like soup resembled muddy water with dust particles floating on top. Beside the vat, were metal oven trays – one containing this slimy, brown concoction with lumps (the menu card said vegetables and gravy), the other filled with mashed potato remnants, and another containing a batch of randomly assorted bread rolls; Tsuna watched an inmate pick one up, and throw it across the room, before getting yelled at by another Officer.

He watched the flying loaf soar in midair – it literally cracked and broke in half once it landed on the ground. Again, he shuddered, as moved the queue along. Tsuna's breakfast earlier on wasn't much either – just a cup of orange juice, two slices of toast and a bowl of oatmeal - The prisoners looked just as 'excited' in receiving their breakfast rations as he did earlier on back in the staff kitchen. Tsuna supposed they were getting used to it. The canteen was noisy and rather unnecessary bright due to the lighting levels, yet the prisoners were unresponsively dragging their trays along – it was plastic – which held their (plastic) plate, (plastic) knife and (also plastic) fork, and finally, their (yup, you guessed it – plastic) mug. This morning's shift had him working alongside Ryohei today, as well as two other Officers from the other Block who came down with the prisoners from Block C.

The queue in the prison canteen seemed to grow longer and longer.

"Move your ass, Goldilocks. You're in the way." A prisoner barked at him, and Tsuna realised this was what they had started to call him. He didn't see the meaning, really, or where it had come from and how it related to Tsuna in general. But he was told that all the Officers here were given 'fond' nicknames by the prisoners. Ryohei was 'Lawn-Head' and Yamamoto was 'Baseball Freak'. He wasn't sure what Giotto's nickname was.

And now Tsuna was Goldilocks.

He stepped back and allowed the queue to move. Some of the prisoners in Block D who Tsuna had encountered were actually surprisingly nice; that was because Ryohei had told him who to avoid on his second day at work – and he had also explained to him before that the prisoners in the Block were 'tamed' by Giotto's management and control previously.

Aside from that, most of the prisoners had accepted their life and simply wanted to live peacefully with others in the prison until their day for parole came. Then again….

"What the fuck is this shit??!" A loud voice boomed at the front, and all heads looked up. "You call this food?? This has got to be a fucking joke!?!" Then there was a loud clatter - a tray had been thrown halfway across the room.

The same man from yesterday – the one who Yamamoto was with – Gokudera Hayato, or whatever, was at the very front in line, effectively causing a disturbance. Tsuna looked around worriedly; one of the C Block Officers was at the very end of the queue, busy with his own work. The other Officer was surveying the canteen floor, accompanied with Ryohei. _Oh great_, Tsuna thought as he frowned to himself, _I'm all by myself_. He sucked in his gut and walked up to the silver-haired inmate, dressed in yesterday's shirt and slacks, all at the same while, hearing the other prisoners groan.

He opened his mouth and -

"Hey, fuckbag, shut the hell up and just get your fucking food!" Someone else yelled in his place and Tsuna winced, as the threat was soon followed by encouraged, raucous shouting and the enthusiastic whooping and banging of trays against the canteen counter from other inmates.

Gokudera turned back round slowly, "What was that?"

Tsuna closed his mouth immediately. "No, wait! T-That wasn't me – "

Behind him, the rest of the canteen came to life with an abundance of sniggers and jeers, throwing food around and more thumping from the hilts of their plastic knives and forks on the tables. "Hey, quiet down!!" An Officer yelled – and then he promptly ducked from a piece of flying rock-bread that had been carefully aimed towards his direction.

Meanwhile, Tsuna was slowly backing away as Gokudera loomed over him menacingly, then grabbed Tsuna by his front, almost lifting him off the ground. His knuckles clenched around the uniform's lapels, as he invaded Tsuna's personal space by leering into him. The unbearable stench of tobacco smoke from the lit cigarette that was wobbling between Gokudera's lips clouded Tsuna's vision and made his eyes water. "I remember you -- You're that pinprick of a hack from yester – "

"Yo, what's going on here???" Ryohei had jumped in at the exact moment, and Tsuna's prayers were answered. "Let go of him, octopus-head. Why do you do this every morning?"

Hmm, it seemed Officers had nicknames for prisoners, too.

"Shut it, lawn-head! This doesn't concern you." Gokudera grunted out sourly under his breath, the end of his cigarette spraying Tsuna's uniform with fragmented, dying embers.

And before Ryohei could respond -

"Hayato, leave the poor boy alone."

The new voice stunned everyone for a brief moment, and Gokudera twisted his head round, then - "Argh!" Gokudera suddenly shouted out once the catering assistant behind the canteen counter – a woman with her hair tied up, a hair net pulled over the crown of her head. She was wearing a white chef's jacket with rubber buttons and a stained apron. She had removed the goggles that had been covering her eyes, "Y-You - ?! No way!!" The cigarette dropped out of his mouth to the grimy canteen floor.

"Hayato, why do you look so surprised to see me?" The woman replied, blinking innocently at him, "…Not only do you criticise my food, but you also threaten a member of staff in my presence. You haven't changed at all."

"_What the hell are you doing here??!_" He roared out instead, covering his mouth with his arm as he stepped back frantically.

"I work here." She reached a hand towards him.

He screamed. "NO! Don't touch me, d-don't come any closer!! Or-Or I'll… I'll punch you in the baby maker!" Gokudera spluttered out, a bit feebly, mind you, and then suddenly, he then dropped to the ground, coughing and spluttering and wheezing. The prisoners sniggered as they crowded round, before the C Block Officer had to line them up again.

Tsuna watched on as he stood beside Ryohei, looking equally as surprised as he did. _What's going on? Who is this woman??_

* * *

Yes, I know that was random O.O Hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	9. The Warden

I don't think this chapter makes much sense, but there's some 1827. Enjoy!

**Homecoming**

-

-

With Gokudera still writhing on the floor, the woman jabbed a wooden spoon carelessly at his position on the ground and he swatted her away furiously, at the same time covering his head with his arms. She said, "I'm worried about you, that's all. They had a new position available as Head chef so I applied."

Gokudera felt the last shred of his patience withering away. Growling and curling furiously under his breath, he quickly scrambled to his feet, and then –

- promptly ran out of the canteen.

An awkward silence fell in the Cafeteria. Then Ryohei broke off into a sprint and began to give chase after the runaway prisoner. "Get back here!!"

Too much yelling in the morning, Tsuna thought. Stunned, he could only gawp at their retreating backs, and then turned back to the brown-haired woman who had put her goggles back on. The queue began to move again, much to the prisoners' 'delight'. "I'm so sorry you had to see that." She said to Tsuna, as she absent-mindedly spooned ladlefuls of the 'gravy' into the trays one-by-one. "My baby brother is so aggressive. He gets it from our father as well as years of negligent upbringing."

"….And you are…?" Tsuna began, about to lean against the counter when – "Argh!" He was abruptly scalded.

"You're leaning against the hotplate. I would've warned you, but there's already a sign so you only have your ignorance to blame..." The woman remarked bluntly as she pointed to the sticker just beside Tsuna's head, affixed to the glass cover that was covering the food. It said, in bright, bold lettering '**Be careful – HOT. Do not touch the glass**.'

Tsuna cringed as he cradled his arm; how could he miss that?? As the prisoners passed him to find their seats, they all sniggered and jeered at him. He stood sheepishly on the spot.

"And in answer to your question, I am Hayato's older sister. My name is Bianchi." She continued, without looking at him as she worked, "He becomes violently sick whenever he sees my face."

Tsuna blinked uncouthly.

Bianchi decided not to add anymore to her previous comment, leaving Tsuna to contemplate that they must have some kind of strange background history like the rest of the people here, too. "I haven't told him that father has passed away, and his funeral will be held next week. Although…I'm not sure if he will even attend."

Tsuna stepped back to let a prisoner find a table, then turned back to Bianchi. "I thought prisoners will do anything to get out of their cells?"

"Well, yes, but… Our predicament is very difficult; Hayato _**loathes**_ us. When I heard news of his conviction, I got him a good defense attorney, and I kept visiting him but he never wanted to see me." Bianchi said dolefully, "…But, as his older… _half_-sister, I have a responsibility over him. All I just want for him is to accept me."

Tsuna wondered if she knew about Gokudera and Yamamoto's relationship yet.

"He isn't a bad person - no matter how much he tries to act like one, or how much he wants to be one." Bianchi laughed lightly."He can't even stare at my face for more than five seconds."

Tsuna deduced that seeing him break down on the canteen floor like that and cough and splutter just because of the appearance of his sister confirmed her words. "Aren't you worried that the inmates here will take advantage of that?" He asked.

"No, Hayato looks after himself – well, that's what that tall and broad, dark-haired Officer the day before told me… I think he protects Hayato very well, in fact."

_Hm? Yamamoto??_

Bianchi was refilling the gravy tub again; more of the same brown contents squelching and squirming over the tray; Tsuna's eye twitched furiously. She cooked that??? Bianchi did not seem to realise it was wafting some strange miasma into the air. "With this job, I can keep a close eye on Hayato whether he likes it or not, knowing that he is only a Cell Block away."

_Yeesh_, Tsuna thought, as he returned to the queue, moving the prisoners up single file. _Thank god I don't have any older siblings._

With Ryohei running out to capture the wayward inmate, Tsuna was offered help by the two Officers of C Block to deliver the remaining prisoners back to D Block safely. They explained to Tsuna that this sort of life would be hard to get to, but usually, it took time to adapt. They split up once Tsuna returned to D Block and was about to make his way back up to the Podium, where he could see Giotto at the switchboard. And when the Commanding Officer waved at him, Tsuna tensed up all over and waved back meekly. At his side, Ryohei was with a cursing and snarling Gokudera in handcuffs.

"Sasagawa-san, you found him."

"Yeah, but I don't know what to do with him." Ryohei replied, and when Tsuna responded with a confused expression scribbled over his face, he added, "Initiating violence towards staff members is not tolerated in here. It was all in Prison Handbook." He stated blatantly, as he motioned Gokudera to go up the stairs.

"Fuck off, I can still move my goddamn legs…" Gokudera snapped at him, and Ryohei let go of his arms, so Gokudera could make his own way up.

Once they arrived (with Tsuna eyeing Gokudera's back warily the entire process), Ryohei unlocked the gate and entered the Podium. "He was threatening Sawada-san and another member of staff earlier on, Giotto-san." Ryohei explained the rest of the situation at the cafeteria, as Giotto turned round in his seat to face Tsuna and the inmate, who were still standing at the landing. Gokudera was surprisingly marvelling at the many controls of the switchboard.

Giotto let out an almost helpless, tired sigh. "…Take him to see the Warden then. And take Tsunayoshi with you. He has yet the meet the man."

Ryohei squinted an eye to his superior, a little nervously, "Uh….are you sure he's…well, _ready_??" He whispered, hoping Tsuna hadn't heard.

Giotto laughed, "After the Rokudo Mukuro incident, I'm sure Tsuna can handle anyone."

"Well, if you say so…" Ryohei turned round, but then – "Will you be alright by yourself? What if we're not here when Byakuran comes?"

"I'll be fine." Giotto replied, picking up the phone beside him. "I'll call the Warden, tell him you're coming."

Ryohei nodded, and then solemnly retreated back to Tsuna's side. "What happened, Sasagawa-san?" Tsuna enquired, as Gokudera occasionally threw them dirty looks, and snorted.

"I'm supposed to take him to see the Warden!!!" Ryohei exclaimed, back to his enthusiastic self, "Let's go, Sawada-san!!!"

…………

Tsuna was going to meet The Warden -- the man who literally hammered the term 'discipline' into the mindset of prisoners with an iron fist; the man who didn't tolerate any misbehaviour of code and conduct; the man who punished those who he saw fit. Now he was going to meet the man in the flesh. He had to admit, he was a little nervous, even though there really should not be any reason to be.

They ventured through to the West Division, this time, going to a completely different direction than the Lab, and towards the Library and the Department of Psychiatric Evaluation. They walked past the Library unit, and continued down another corridor – Tsuna could see a few doors ahead – they all had their blinds closed, even the blinds at the window on the doors. They were deep mahogany, decorated with plates embellished in gold: there was 'Warden's Office', 'Governor's Office' and 'Deputy Head's Office'. Deputy Head's Office...Reborn's Office… Tsuna stared bitterly at it as they walked past.

Ryohei and Gokudera stopped outside the Warden's door and Ryohei knocked politely. A few moments later and –

"Come in."

Tsuna quickly did a double-take. Why did the voice sound so familiar??

Ryohei looked at Tsuna, and smiled, a little apathetically. Tsuna stared meekly back at his expression with uncertainty, and Ryohei took a deep breath, while Gokudera snorted and rolled his eyes again. Ryohei twisted on the door handle and opened the door, then stepped in.

The room was very large; even larger than Dino's Office a few feet or so. There was no bed – but, there was another door, and Tsuna assumed it led to the bedroom. At the opposite of the door they had entered, was a large window, stretching from ceiling to floor, its blinds were drawn, too. Nevertheless, the room was bright from the lighting affixed to the ceiling. In the middle, a desk stood, filled with documents and books all stacked neatly on top of another. Bookcases stood at both sides of the desk, against the wall; all the titles were far too complicated for Tsuna to fully understand. The gold plate sitting in front of his desk beside a desktop calendar (bird-themed) said '**Hibari Kyouya**'. A Japanese landscape portrait with kanji lettering hung in one corner of the room for a personal touch; in the other corner – a weapons stand. Tsuna's eyes widened momentarily.

Ryohei closed the door behind him, and Gokudera stood petulantly, as if nothing was new to him. A man was sitting in the chair behind the desk, apparently sorting through more documents, until he looked up. Tsuna's jaw dropped. He recognised him. He knew this man – it was the same man back in the basement who threatened him and called him a herbivore…

_H-He's the Warden????!!! But he's…young… _

Sure enough, Tsuna had been expecting a mumbling old geezer to be seated behind that desk. But no, his expectations had been replaced with the handsome young man with dark hair who frowned a lot, and those cold and icy, calculating eyes that could perhaps even freeze water into ice. However, even the Warden himself looked somewhat surprised at Tsuna's appearance. "You – " He began. But then he stopped, and frowned - and then he completely ignored Tsuna, deciding to focus his gaze on at Ryohei, and Gokudera. "Sit down."

Ryohei made Gokudera sit in the chair directly in front of the Warden. "Better get this over with; I don't have all day." Gokudera grunted out.

Suddenly, there was a deathly silence in the air. The atmosphere seemed to have thickened with an intense, and daunting tension. Tsuna stared wordlessly as Ryohei seemed to have blanched and then mutter out an inaudible "_Idiot!_" under his breath.

The Warden sat silently, his eyes narrowing. His lips curved into a tight frown, and he slowly got up from his chair, walked up to Gokudera. His footsteps echoed off the creaking floorboards, and he stopped directly at Gokudera's side. It was too quick for Tsuna eyes to register, but he heard it – a quick and rapid 'fwoosh' and suddenly, the Warden was holding a collapsible steel tonfa (the same one he saw back in the basement) that had seemingly come from nowhere, which was dripping with blood. The side of Gokudera's head was starting to bleed. Tsuna gaped mutely though he tried to hide horrified gasps; even Ryohei had been forced into a state of disinclined silence and was now watching the scene uncomfortably from the sidelines. Tsuna's knees began to wobble as he glanced from the Warden to Gokudera. _He-He's abusing his authority!!! _

"Be quiet. I didn't give you permission to speak. If you pull a little stunt like that again..." The Warden began, glowering silently at Gokudera from the corners of his eyes, "_I'll bite you to __**death**_."

Immediately, he lashed out. "You bastard!! _I'll fucking kill you!_" Gokudera roared, and Ryohei had to leap in and hold him back, "Let go of me!!!"

"Calm down!!!"

"Get the fuck off me!!" Gokudera demanded furiously, snarling viciously at the Warden as he stood calmly in front of him.

"Your Commanding Officer has informed me about the offences." The Warden said indifferently, yet a sly smirk was harbouring on his face, "For attempting to assault two members of staff…I know just the right punishment."

Everyone waited, except for Gokudera, who was still struggling and flailing around.

"Lock him in The Hole. Twelve days, no food or water." The Warden finished coldly, sitting back down on his seat. "…I will make sure your release date will be further postponed for two years. Take him away, Officer."

"You _asshole_!!" Gokudera shouted, before he was hauled him back outside by Ryohei who responded to the Warden with a polite 'Yes, sir', with Tsuna following suit, until –

"Where do you think you're going, herbivore?"

Ryohei was already out of the room. Tsuna cautiously turned back round to the young Warden, then gestured to himself uncomprehendingly, "M-Me…?"

There was a slight silence, then the Warden let a bemused smirk slither across his handsome face, "Yes…_You_."

He froze up all over again, confined within the Warden's gaze. The door slammed shut behind Tsuna once he moved away from the doorway.

"So," The Warden began, looking away from him for the moment, "You have been assigned to Cell Block D."

"Yes, sir."

He looked back at Tsuna. "Giotto is your Commanding Officer."

"Yes, sir."

"This is your Second day, correct?"

"...Er, yes, sir." Tsuna realised he was scrutinising him fixedly, an evident glint in his dark eyes. He threw his gaze numbly to the floor, feeling completely awkward, especially when he did not seem intent on looking away.

Instead, the Warden's gaze intensified, "Then you must still be new to _**my**_ rules of this Reformatory."

He realised this must be some of the interpersonal rules Dino had once explained to him about on his first day. _Great_, Tsuna thought as he stood completely still on his spot, _I don't want a lecture. Not from this guy._ He moved to sit down on the same seat Gokudera had previously sat in.

"What do you think you're doing?" The Warden intervened immediately, his eyes narrowing again.

Tsuna blinked blankly at him in response, "…Sitting – "

"I do not recall myself offering you a seat." The Warden interrupted almost immediately, "…Regardless, you are to stand whenever I address you." Every word in his sentence was spoken with a sharp and profound, venomous tenor.

"Sorry, sir." Tsuna quickly apologised, wishing Ryohei had mentioned this to him before. This also must be one of the Warden's interpersonal rules; He figured it was better not to get off on the wrong foot concerning this man before him. He also wondered what planet this man came from.

"There are still a lot of procedures you do not know about. Like this one - " The Warden then got off his chair, still eyeing the younger man with the cautious expression before stopping shortly at his side. "Bend over."

"Huh?" came Tsuna's astonished reply.

"Don't make me repeat myself, herbivore."

Anxiously, Tsuna sprawled down over the surface of his desk; an all too familiar feeling of ailing nausea swirling in the pit of his stomach, and held in his breath when the young Warden moved to stand behind him. Tsuna's eyes widened as he felt the Warden's hands latch onto his side and slide upwards slowly in a deliberate, teasing motion. Inwardly, he held back a cry of surprise that was itching to come out, instead, he stammered out, "W-What are you doing?" He was abruptly silenced when one of the Warden's gloved hands had slid under his uniform and over the skin of his back. Tsuna squeaked, "H-Hey…"

"Be quiet, herbivore…" The Warden murmured tauntingly at him, as he retreated his hands and then parted Tsuna legs; his groin pressed hard against one of his legs, and Tsuna let out a meek whimper – the Warden gazed down at Tsuna, bemused with the man's response, then he slid his hands down Tsuna's front, making his breath hitch in his throat.

Automatically, Tsuna's hands flew to where the Warden's hands were, trying to block him. "Stop – "

"Don't touch me."

Tsuna pulled back immediately, letting the Warden continue before he was interrupted. He bit his lip down, hard.

The Warden spoke again, his mouth just pressed against Tsuna's ear, sending shivers down his spine. "…It is my duty to make sure that there are no…." He paused in mid-sentence, pulling out Tsuna's lucky handkerchief that he kept in one of the inner pockets of his boxers; the material brushing against Tsuna's leg teasingly. "…Uniform violations, for instance. Appearances towards the public are an imperative aspect of the Reformatory."

Tsuna swallowed down.

"This is not part of the uniform." He finished, frowning at the handkerchief.

"…Sorry, sir." Tsuna stammered out. _But it was in my pocket – No-one could even see it!_

The Warden looked at the flimsy cloth, that had a tuna fish embroidered on it, and then turned back to Tsuna, who was still bent over the surface of his desk, "I'll be confiscating that off you. You can collect it when your shift ends. Now get out of my office."

Tsuna realised he wasn't making much sense. Then again, everything here didn't make sense so it was probably better to go along with it. The Warden had then leant off Tsuna, returning to his side of the desk and slid back down onto his seat, still with Tsuna's lucky handkerchief in possession. He picked up his phone and dialled in a number, but his eyes were still fixed on Tsuna the entire time.

_Hibari Kyouya_, the nameplate said. His name was Hibari Kyouya.

Shakily, Tsuna had quickly peeled himself off the desk, re-did his slacks up and hurriedly made his way to the door. Before he turned the door handle, he mustered a glance to the Warden over his shoulder; what compelled him to do so, he wasn't quite sure; but the man was on the phone, yet he still managed to tug one corner of his lips into an endearing smirk, aimed carefully at Tsuna's direction. He quickly turned back to his front, embarrassed.

Once Tsuna shut the door to the Warden's room behind him, his whole body was still trembling from the entire experience. He had to lean onto the wall for support; he was acutely surprised to see Ryohei, sitting on one of the waiting chairs outside the room. Once Tsuna shut the door behind him, Ryohei sprang up immediately, "Sawada-san, what took you so long????!! Were you in trouble??" Then – "Why is your face so red???!"

"Uh, I'm f-fine…really…" He muttered out weakly, trying to calm his pounding heart down, "W-What are you doing here? Where's Gokudera?"

"They took him off me…That is, the Warden's personally selected members of staff, or his Committee or whatever…"

"…Oh. Um. By the way…The Warden…when you met him, did he give you special treatment? Like….."

Ryohei blinked blankly as Tsuna trailed off. "Like what?"

_LIKE FORCE YOU TO BEND OVER HIS DESK AND PUT HIS HANDS DOWN YOUR PANTS??! _Tsuna's mind screamed, and he had to immediately batted the thoughts away. Instead, he kept quiet, but still biting down on his lip bitterly, his face an intense red hue. He would have to return again to the Warden's Office after work just to get his handkerchief back…No, he would leave it. "N-Never mind." Tsuna believed he got the brunt of the special treatment. He couldn't help but think: _What's wrong with the people here??? How could this happen? I don't understand! How could they put a man like Hibari Kyouya in charge??_

"…You have heard the rumours right, about the Warden?"

"What rumours?"

"That he's afraid to admit that he likes men."

"…Uh…I've never heard that rumour before…"

"C'mon, you noticed it anyway, right?? The man's from a totally different planet!!!!" Ryohei barked out, "His out-of-this-world good looks gets an astronomically high number of attention from the ladies, see?? So, the Warden has a lot of reputation to uphold!!!"

Tsuna scratched his head in confusion. "But what's that got to do with him liking men?"

"Arh, come on, Sawada-san!!! Surely you must've also noticed that this place is suffering from a lack of female presences???!"

"Er….But what about Nagi-san and Bianchi-san…?" Tsuna replied. _More like it's suffering from corruption…Staff and prisoners alike. _"Well, there's still the receptionists…"

"They're only working their designated hours. Then they go home. At night, it's just us manly men all forced to live together under one roof!!!"

"Oh, I see…"

"And there are more rumours about this place being haunted!!!!"

"Haunted?" Tsuna raised an eyebrow at the abrupt topic change.

"Yeah, the Chapel is haunted, but that's where the Chaplain lives and he doesn't believe in ghosts. The Laboratory, Cell Block W, and the Infirmary are presumably haunted, too, and so is The Hole."

_The Hole?_ Tsuna perked up. "What's '_**The Hole**_'??" He quickly asked, remembering that Gokudera had been sent there, and so had Rokudo Mukuro.

With that question, Ryohei's worried expression turned to a look of pure uncertainty; he gestured to Tsuna to walk with him while he speak, so they began to make their way back up to the East Division, going past the Teaching classrooms. "…I'm not entirely sure, but… it's apparently in the basement of the Reformatory." He began uncomfortably, "It's some kind of cell block where they lock up really violent and uncooperative inmates… for a few hours, days, weeks even. Some people even die down there. I don't have the authority to send anyone to The Hole because it's the Warden's group who handles that stuff, so I don't have much of an idea. You want to know, right?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, wait right here, Tsuna!!!" Ryohei took off down the corridor, towards the direction of the Library. A few moments later, and he re-emerged out, with a file in hand. "Here -- this is a photocopy of a letter written a while ago by an inmate, who was put into The Hole, and lived. They said he was too stubborn to die. It's the closest we got to actual information of what goes down in there. People who come back out usually go all quiet, or kill themselves in days. Everything else about The Hole is forbidden to us Officers. I've read it, so you can, too. Hope that helps, eh?"

"Oh, thank you, Ryohei-kun." Tsuna took the file out of Ryohei's hands and thanked him, then opened the letter.

It was a photocopy, which said:

_**Subject: **_

_URGENT. A letter of confession given to the Chaplain._

_**Prisoner 38433D of Cell Block D has confessed to two further crimes.**_

_The Chaplain has raised serious concern regarding some of the security procedures used to restrain prisoners.  
__A meeting is to take place at 1600 hours on Thursday, in the Conference Room._

_Please find an enclosed copy of the letter.  
__The original has been sent to the Governor._

_**Extra note: **__A part of the letter was written in blood._

* * *

The 'letter' will be the next chapter. Em, I meant in the previous chapter that Giotto's request for Mukuro to be transferred to another Block after his stunt was refused by Reborn; poor Giotto xD

Btw, you might want to go to my HOMEPAGE and check my journal (Section 8) for news about my other story (ROTLH), which I have chosen to discontinue. Sorry!


	10. Prisoner 38433D

**Homecoming**

-

-

* * *

_Dear..._

... Fuck it.

I hate writing motherfucking bullshit letters in this fucking day-care. I got no-one outside to write goddamn letters to anyway. But I'm sitting here, with ballpoint pen in hand, a piece of brown paper in front of me. Looks like it came out my ass, flattened with a rolling pin, then hung up and left to dry. The pad says _Recycled: Save the rhinos_.

I got twenty minutes left. Everyone else is finished, so there's nobody else in the room except from the two hacks. They don't look at me, respecting my 'privacy', but all I've done so far is just sit and look at my hand. It's roasting in here, but the pen feels cool in my hand; it's those kinds that are attached to a ball-chain to the desk, just in case anyone decides to do anything stupid with it.

What can I write down?

Weather's been shit. No Home Improvement. There's nothing on TV. Haven't done much, except -

I cheated in a game of poker.  
I haven't shaved in weeks.  
I went to the gym.  
I got in a fight.  
Got in trouble, again.

They gave me a new nickname.

_Double X._

Fuck you, you damn shits.

I hate this fucking place and everyone in it. They took away everything I have and threw a toilet roll, a blanket, a pillow and a spare set of the clothes into my arms. On the day, they showed me to a room the size of a fucking closet with this toilet separated from the bed by a screen. I refuse to share and will kill anyone who does, like that fucking terrorist who I smothered the other night with my pillow or the serial rapist who ended up drowning in his own piss water because he tried to fuck me up the ass.

They all thought it was suicides. That's how stupid they are.

I have a neighbour – a swordsman...a piece of trash - who was probably put in this goddamn place with the sole reason just to piss me off from time to time, then there's the blonde who shares Cell 5 with the guy in love with frogs, and those other two... whatever their names were; they looked like fucking drag queens anyway – well, one of them had a squished-up face like a robber's dog. They say they're waiting, but what they're really waiting for is for _**me**_ to do something because they're too goddamn scared to make the first themselves. I don't even know them but they all insist in _following _me.

I don't need anyone watching my back.

That's what they said to me on the first day.

Told me to arm myself.  
Get buddies.  
Watch each other's back, and don't get fucked up the ass.

_Survive_.

Life here is slow.  
And loud.

There's goddamn noise everywhere.

From the racket that comes from the annoying shark's mouth to some asshole in the corner snorting dope up their nose excessively. There's this air raid siren at 9am in the fucking morning; the doors will be unlocked. Some officer with this stick will start to poke us into single file into the showers where we have to fucking _share_. Then once that's done, we have to get our food, or more like mushed up _dog shit_ with carrots and peas floating around in this boiling tub downstairs in the cafeteria, and expect us to eat it with compliance. And then there's work and the Chapel, where the Chaplain holds meetings every Sunday. I heard they call him _Big Daddy_ and I want to see what's so popular about him, why they seem to like him so much and why they chose such an interesting title to address him.

Maybe I'll pay him a visit.

You could ask Big Daddy for anything you can't ask the Officers, they say, and he'll grant you permission. Like, getting married, or, wanting to see the day your sister graduated, or your parent's anniversary, or even seeing the birth of your child – the usual things the Officers cannot control, only Big Daddy, because it's the little things that make us human. He doesn't even know us, yet, he treats us like his children. His offspring, his babies. Big Daddy owns the Chapel and has his own room high up in the tower. He wouldn't know what being imprisoned really felt like. If he was sent here, down with us, he wouldn't even last one second. We'd wipe the floor with his ass. He doesn't even know what kind of men we truly are and what goes on. To me, he is an over-zealous dirtbag who thinks God can answer all our problems. I have no God. I am my own God.

Therefore, I am writing a letter to him. This Big Motherfucking Daddy.

I had a lot to tell him.

Who I am.  
What I did.  
Why I'm here.  
What it's like here.

And I'll tell him I kissed another man and fucking liked it.

The guys here doing time, like me, they got all their own stories. The reason I'm here is because I killed the Governor - my old man. Or, tried to.

Then they brought up all the other convictions – ranging from manslaughter, actual bodily harm to grievous bodily harm – what the hell was the difference? Everything added up into one motherfucking life sentence, calling me a threat to the public. I saw the news. People were calling me things. _Monster _was one of them.

Now I'm here; in Melone Reformatory where they believe locking up people will make them contemplate the error of their ways and hope they'll change. All I want to say is, this whole place is a fucked up charity and I don't want to fucking change and no-one will make me otherwise. Almost every night, I just dream of my hands wrapped around the old man's tight throat, choking the life out of him. That fucking liar, that asshole; he plagued me with so much ambitions and wiped them flat out from under my feet in seconds when that lawyer came to talk about the old man's will; he had this briefcase and he read out loud from this paragraph and I remember the old man's face scrunching up. He said he was sorry but I wasn't having any of it. That's when I blacked out. I can't remember much. I just know I woke up in blood the day after. And now I'm locked up here.

Knowing that the old man's still out there and alive and looking for his real son or some other scumbag to inherit his will keeps me going, knowing that I'm only serving my tariff of thirty three years, before I am up for parole. By that time, I may be a fucking old geezer, and the old man may as well be good as dead and in the ground.

Well, you better be alive and well by the time I get out, _father_.

In the daycare room, I've finally written a few paragraphs. I don't have MS Word or a fucking dictionary so I must have screwed up on some spelling and grammar, but at least it's decipherable. The hacks have been watching me. I raise my hand up, like a good boy in school who knew the answer to a question the teacher wrote on the board. An officer comes over and asks me what the problem is.

He says, "What's wrong, Xanxus?"

"Fucking pen's not working."

"Alright, I'll get the refill." He takes it out of my hand and tried it out on a spare sheet of paper. The pen does seem to work, as I had outlined before. He puts the pen down to get a refill tube. When he returns, he unscrews the pen's outershell which is attached to the nib.

The nib is sharp.

A frantic rush of adrenaline surges through me; I almost forgot the feeling, in fact - and I reach forward and grab this sharp tool, wistful thinking that this must be my lucky break or an opportunity of a lifetime, and before any of the officers can react, I've leapt out from my seat and stabbed the pen into the man's neck.

He screams.  
It's a nice sound.

Blood pours from his wound, pours from my pen and all down my arm. I've not seen blood for a long time. It's like I've been in fucking rehab but now it's all coming back. I twist the pen out only to realise it's jammed in the guy's jugular. The only thing I can do is pull the pen out along with the vein. Yeah, that'll do. That's nice ink. I sit back down and try to put the pen back onto paper but I only get a few words down before they grab me from all four corners and I'm lifted out of my seat. I hate people touching me, so I punch them back and slam their fucking ugly faces into the desk. One officer chips a tooth, his partner's skull comes in contact with the edge; and all I can think is: _you fucking bastards, I'll kill you all, if it's the last thing I do._

One grabs my arm, another at my other arm. Then my leg, along with the other. I'm lifted out like a fucking piece of meat tied to a horizontal pole. They're yelling and screaming while lifting their fallen comrade with the reddish piece of spaghetti hanging out of the hole in his neck, rushing to the Infirmary. Pandemonium. All I know is, they're not prepared when any prisoner rebels.

...Which makes this easier than I could've possibly imagined. It takes one little thing, to knock everything off balance here. They think they're so flawless, but they're not. Their system is a fucking mess and all over the place.

I'm put into a straitjacket and they blindfold my eyes before they move me. They pry my mouth open and then someone's hand reaches in and pulls my tongue out. It's affixed with something leather and my tongue's pulled forward. They loop whatever is wrapped around my tongue, to the restraint around my wrists. It's to keep me from talking. They strap me to a stretcher and we go into the elevator; I can hear the annoying hum of the pulley and the generator. We're going down, and then, I can hear the doors opening and it's all silent. I hear footsteps – their footsteps and the wheels of the stretcher bed squeaking – they stop.

I'm hoisted upright, and they take off the restraint that connects my tongue to my wrists, and snap off the remaining elastic restraints over me, and then I'm pushed forwards. I land on hard ground; and I know they've put me into another cell. The ground feels damp and wet, smells like dead corpses and it's fucking cold. I can't see a thing. The last thing I hear is the door slamming shut.

In The Hole, I think back to my old man again.

I don't know how long I must've been in there. They find me yelling, swearing and laughing. I'm drenched in my own piss and shit, the corners of my mouth all cracked and dry, my stomach eating me alive from inside out because I'm so goddamn hungry and thirsty. When they take off my blindfold and the straitjacket, I'm sent back to Cell Block D and given food and water in my cell. This time, it's decent food I actually recognise. That's when the swordsman comes over to me. I'm too tired to yell. Punk gets it off lucky, otherwise I would've kicked his ass for the granny visit. He's heard about me being put in The Hole for physically assaulting an Officer. A few moments later, and the rest come. The grinning one and frog one. Those fucking starstruck lovers.

"What? No kiss? Your wife waited so patiently for your return, Boss." says the grinning one. Frog rolls his eyes.

"Shut it, Bel." snarls the swordsman, in my place. He turns to me. "You really killed that guy?"

"Which one?" I grunt out.

"The last one you shared a room with."

_The serial rapist._ "Yeah."

"Why?"

"None of your fucking business, scumbag." I growl at him, throwing my plate at him; he dodges but some food still goes onto some of his hair; he doesn't notice. "How long was I gone?"

"A week."

It felt like a month.

"That man from L Block wants to talk to you by the way."

"Tell him to fuck off."

He frowns, then takes something out from his pocket and a crumpled piece of paper with blood. He says, "...I kept it. I didn't have a look. Bel can sneak it into the mailing slot after you're done."

"Give me that, you piece of shit," I snatch my letter back from his hand. I open it up and I'm glad to see that most of is intact.

………..

_(Part of the letter is missing. Note: This part is written in blood)_

_DiE  
__tIMoTeO_

**YoUrS sInCeReLy,**

_**XanXus**_

* * *

Sorry for the slow update; I've recently returned to my studies and part-tme job (you'll know more about it in my Homepage journal lol). I have some plans for this story, and Spanner does indeed have a role in this story :)

Err... This was a rather _ugly_ and uh... _choppy _chapter. I am lazy and I didn't know how to introduce Xanxus properly :( I've never written about Xanxus or the Varia in general so I apologise for any OOC. Of course, this chapter gave me an excuse to be rude and swear as much as I want... (lol) It was a bit uncomfortable though. The procedure that Xanxus underwent is the **Iron gag**, which was originally used in the Eastern State Penitentiary for inmates who refused to obey the 'no-communication' command; an iron collar would be fastened to an inmate's tongue which looped to their wrists. If they moved, it would result in the tongue tearing and severe bleeding.

Because this chapter is short, I will put up profiles of the characters to compensate (again, KHR does not belong to me).

**Name:** Sawada Tsunayoshi  
20-24 years old. He is the new Correctional Officer who was chosen by Reborn to become the next Commanding Officer of D Block (unbeknownst to him).

**Name: **Reborn  
The Deputy Governor of Melone Reformatory. Apparently he is on his way to the Reformatory.

**Name:** Dino Cavallone  
Induction Officer and Commanding Officer of M Block. He was Hibari's mentor at some point.

**Name: **Giotto  
26-27 years old. He is the current Commanding Officer of D Block; he recently requested for someone to take over his place once he becomes the successor of the Melone Reformatory. His father apparently served Timoteo beforehand.

**Name:** Yamamoto Takeshi  
24 years old. D Block Officer, been with Gokudera Hayato for 7 years.

**Name:** Sasagawa Ryohei  
25 years old. D Block Officer and Kyoko's older brother.

**Name:** Verde  
Head Scientist of the Laboratory.

**Name:** Nagi  
Assistant researcher. She may or may not have aided Rokudo Mukuro in his premature revival.

**Name:** Rokudo Mukuro  
25 years old. L Block Prisoner, No. 27694L, soon to be a D Block prisoner. He has been in Melone for 10 years. He wears a containment device that seals off his powers and can only be removed by the scientists. It is similar to an eye-patch, but it is drilled into his head.

**Name:** Hibari Kyouya  
25 years old. He is the Warden and has his own group of staff who manages The Hole and exert their own authority; he often kills prisoners without consent of senior authorities.

**Name:** Kusakabe Tetsuya  
Warden's Deputy and Commanding Officer of K Block.

**Name:** Gokudera Hayato  
25 years old. He is currently a D Block prisoner, no. 80592D. He is to spend 17 years in Melone, having already served 7. His sentence was increased by 2 years, courtesy of Hibari. Up for parole in 3.

**Name:** Wilhelm Roenitz (aka 'Scarlet')  
28 years old. Correctional Officer of L Block who took his own life on Tsuna's first day. Has a daughter back at home. He was found with his fingers cut off. His ghost now haunts the front yard (no, not really xDD)

**Name:** Simora (aka 'Big Daddy' by prisoners)  
The Chaplain of the Melone Reformatory. Lives in the Chapel. He is also Timoteo's representative.

**Name: **Byakuran of the Millefiore  
About 27 years old. Currently an L-Block prisoner, no. 10027L, who is due to move to D Block. He may have or may have not been involved with the death of Scarlet. He is to serve 40 years, up for parole in 11.

**Name:** Fon  
Commanding Officer of H Block. Looks after the Gym/Dojo.

**Name:** Trident Shamal  
Commanding Officer of R Block. Looks after the Infirmary and pervert extraordinaire.

**Name:** Lanchia  
Commanding Officer of S Block.

**Name:** Colonnello  
Commanding Officer of C Block.

**Name:** Phantom Knight Genkishi  
Commanding officer of L Block.

**Name:** Timoteo  
Governor of the Melone Reformatory. He has anointed Giotto to take his place after he retires.

**Name: **Bianchi  
Gokudera's older half-sister who took a job as a Head chef in the reformatory just so she could be near him.

**Name: **Xanxus (aka 'Double X' lol)  
D Block Prisoner. He is the leader of the Varia, a group that formed in the Melone. We find out that in his 'confessional letter' that he is not the real son of Timoteo so he did not get what he wanted in his will, and when he found out, he went on a killing spree. He was convicted and sent to the Melone where he occasionally kills prisoners. The Varia are supposedly plotting a riot.


	11. The End is Nigh

This VERY long chapter is my apology for not updating for almost half a year. I noticed more people have added this story to their favs/alerts during my inactivity so this has prompted me to write more. Thank you very much for your support :)

**Homecoming**

-

-

After reading the letter, Tsuna shuddered and replaced it back into the folder, before handing it back to Ryohei. He quickly relieved himself of the shivers down his spine as soon as Ryohei propped the folder down the 'Returns' chute beside the door to the library. "So…" Tsuna began, "Who's Xanxus?"

Ryohei was quick to reply. "The leader of the Varia – " He explained, "You've not seen him yet? I'm sure you have --Dark, tall, has a lot of scars…frowns a lot… growls a lot, swears a lot, can't stop swearing and frowning and growling in general?"

When Tsuna looked thoughtful before shrugging, Ryohei dropped his descriptive gestures and merely shrugged inwardly, "So far, the main members of the Varia consist of D Block Prisoners – Xanxus himself, of course, there's Superbi Squalo, Belphegor the Ripper, Fran the Frog, and two men called Lussuria and Leviathan from L Block."

One particular name stuck out to Tsuna. "Uh…Belphegor the Ripper?"

"Yup. He killed his twin brother. Said he mistook him for a cockroach… in other words, he thought his brother was a pest."

Upon hearing that, Tsuna couldn't help but shudder again. "What about Fran the Frog?"

"Well, that's what everyone calls him. He's the 'nicest' one out of them all. Total pushover. He doesn't want to cause trouble." Ryohei tittered to himself haplessly as they began to make their way towards the exit of the West Division. "Just to let you know, the Varia were formed in this very prison. They're a gang of total misfits; they like to cause trouble now and then but lately they've been pretty well-behaved."

"You think they're planning something?"

"That letter that I showed you hinted that they were up to something, right? But every time we go for a search, there's nothing in their cells – even if we do a check with no notice." He replied, pursing his lips. "And we've asked around, but the prisoners don't want to tell us. We understand -- They'll get in trouble if they do. Maybe even killed."

"What about the other two in L Block?"

"Lussuria and Leviathan?" Ryohei quirked, "They're okay, too. But whatever you do, don't make eye contact with Leviathan. Hm. You know, the prisoners often share stories with one another. It's like there's campfire stories around here, spread by the prisoners. Aside from The Hole, there's still quite a lot of places that have stirred quite a lot of disturbances in the prisoners," Ryohei added, as they continued their journey, "Such as… Cell Block W."

"You mentioned that before," Tsuna noted, and Ryohei nodded in response. "You said it's haunted?"

"Yeah, it hasn't been used for years, apparently because of a lot of unexplained occurrences."

"Like what?"

"Well…I just know what Giotto-san told me, since he's been here for a long time -- he just said that the Cell Block had loads of problems, such as water leakages, mould, rot, dampness and electricity breakdowns that they had to make it off-limits. _And do you know what the weird thing is?_"

Tsuna leaned in further to hear, "What?"

"Every time they checked the water valves, there was nothing wrong with it. And do what else is scary??" Ryohei said, trying to make his voice sound spooky. Tsuna just grinned and shook his head.

Ryohei lowered his face, shadows falling over his eyes and he purposely inched towards Tsuna menacingly. "…They couldn't get the payphone to connect to the mainland telephone line…But prisoners passing by claimed they heard the phone ringing inside…!!!!"

Tsuna swallowed shortly and stepped back. "R-Really? So…who's calling?"

"…They say…that the one who is calling isn't even a person… In other words…" Ryohei said, his voice going extremely low, "….It's a _ghost_. And anyone who picks it up, when the phone's ringing…they will hear their death on the other line!!!!!!"

"Oh, so it's like that movie…" Tsuna murmured tentatively.

"What movie?"

Tsuna shook his head when it was obvious Ryohei was completely oblivious. "Never mind."

"You don't believe in ghosts???" Ryohei gushed, then scratched the back of his head when Tsuna nodded, a little weakly. "…Well, I can understand why you're a bit sceptical, it's just urban legend. Like stories to scare little kids. The Commanding Officers don't want anyone near the Block, that's all. I never stepped one foot near Cell Block W. But it did start the 'Great Plague'."

"…_**The Great Plague**_?" Tsuna raised one eyebrow in correspondence. _Wow. Now that's something._

"Yeah. The conditions were so bad there was this huge pandemic that wiped out loads of prisoners in Block W way, way back."

"…Can we go?"

"Huh?"

"Could you take me there, Sasagawa-san?"

"Hmm… Yeah, why not?" Ryohei grinned and gave him a thumbs up. "Feeling adventurous today, Sawada-san?" When Tsuna nodded, Ryohei enthusiastically gestured him to follow. They turned back round the other way and towards the direction of the elevator. The sign beside it told them that Cell Blocks A-D were on the ground floor. The other cells were on the floors above. He caught eye of '**Cell Block W. Staff Entrance**'. It said '**Elevator Only**', and watched Ryohei press the button. The elevator came soon, and a few Officers spilled out. Tsuna and Ryohei acknowledged them politely, and they did the same much courtesy. When it was empty, Ryohei and Tsuna eagerly stepped in and Ryohei pressed another button. Tsuna didn't pay attention and watched the lift doors close.

"Don't worry, this won't take long." Ryohei said, still grinning.

Once they arrived, Tsuna and Ryohei stepped out and into the corridor.

He stared around wordlessly. The corridor was long and quiet. And cold. It was slightly dark, too, compared to the other floors that held the Cell Blocks. The ceiling was crumbling, with some tiles missing, exposing black, gaping holes, and the wallpaper was peeling away, revealing mouldy, russet-coloured bricks underneath. The floor was slightly damp; no-one had bothered to clean it properly at all. Tsuna shivered and turned to Ryohei. They passed two large doors on both side of the corridor with a 'U' and 'V' plates bolted on them respectively. At the end of the corridor, was a larger, iron door, covered in rust and wooden planks bolted over, with the letter 'W' slashed in messy, white paint. The corridor was completely empty.

"Sasagawa-san?" He then managed to stammer out weakly.

"What?"

"What happened here?"

"It used to be working perfectly. Cell Blocks U and V were then subsequently shut down after Cell Block W in case another Great Plague was started. The prisoners were moved to other cells. After that, they did a lot of check-ups regularly but nothing helped. After some time passed, no-one really checked up on these cells anymore because nothing works. Don't worry, the corridor's fine, it's just the blocks that aren't."

He could understand why this place was perceived to be haunted. There was something gloomy and foreboding about this place. He just couldn't figure what it was.

"Do you feel that? I can sense some ominous presence here." Ryohei whispered, his eyes shifting left to right. "Do you feel tired or weary all of a sudden?

Indeed, Tsuna felt…_something_. He didn't quite know what it was. "Not really," He remarked truthfully, "I feel more…energized than usual."

"Energized?? Now _**that**_ is weird." They finally stopped at Cell Block W and stared at the door. "Well, here we are. Doesn't look that scary up front, eh?"

"…We can't go in?"

"After all these years, you probably don't want to go in. There's all the dirty air locked up in there and the damp, the rot and the fungus. And even if you wanted to, you should wear a hazmat suit." Ryohei walked up the door and leaned in, and Tsuna did the same. He was careful not to touch the door, since it could be deemed a hazard, too. The two men stayed there for a long time, holding in their breath and listening.

And somewhere in the distance, Tsuna thought he could hear a phone ringing.

…………..

Ryohei didn't hear anything, or so he said. Their eventful expedition was something Tsuna would remember for a long time. He reminded himself to go to the library after work hours and perhaps do some research on the history of the Reformatory. When they returned to D-Block, which was not so haunted and certainly not suffering from any dampness or mould or fungus or unexplained temperature drops whatsoever, Tsuna remembered that the new prisoner was arriving.

_Byakuran of the Millefiore. _

Now, Tsuna knew there were not many people here named Byakuran, so this man must be the one who drove Officer Scarlet to his death. And if he remembered correctly, he'd promised Giotto he wouldn't delve into it. As he made a walk around the perimeter of the Cell Block, he realised the prisoners looked just as eager as he did to see Byakuran.

And when the gate opened –

They began cheering.

Tsuna held his breath. What would this Byakuran look like? Judging by the rumours, he assumed Byakuran to be some ugly, rock-mashing brute.

Imagine his surprise when it was the angel man he saw before breakfast who walked inside, with his belongings in a duffle bag tucked under one arm, dressed in the same shirt and slacks. His face wearing that same smile he had so courteously graced Tsuna with before back in the courtyard. Tsuna felt as though everything had fallen out of his butt and his mouth practically dropped to the floor.

_No….Can't be…_

His heart made a fierce lurch and he suddenly felt sick to the core. He scanned the angel man. This time, he looked paler than before and he stopped smiling. Giotto had accompanied him and was now showing him his new Cell. Tsuna looked at the number and memorised it.

As soon as Giotto left, walked up to Tsuna and patted his shoulder, he said, "Stay away from him, Tsuna. For your own good."

And Tsuna felt confused and a little sad as Giotto returned to the Podium. He rushed to the Shelter – the small, dark space under the Podium's elevated platform where prisoners secretly smoked dope and dealt cards, and hid behind a pillar, watching Byakuran enter his cell and look around, put his bag down and then move to his bed.

Before long, he was greeted by three ferocious-looking men who Tsuna had noticed before and refused to make eye contact. Something stirred within him and he heard himself whispering 'Be careful!' – But to his amazement, Byakuran conversed with them privately; he could not hear what they were saying – and suddenly, the three vicious men began to follow Byakuran out of his cell. Tsuna mentally scolded himself for his childishness. The man was still a prisoner here in Melone.

Tsuna waddled out from his hiding spot and decided that he might as well confront Byakuran. However, he felt his heart flutter slightly when the man had turned to him first, and smiled. Yes, he _smiled_ at him! Tsuna felt giddy and the corners of his lips curled upwards.

"Hello," The angel man said pleasantly, "We meet again."

"Yeah…"

"I didn't know you were a Correctional Officer at this Block. I have just transferred here today."

And Tsuna blanched. "Yeah, I heard…"

"I was an L Block prisoner, you see. A few unfortunate…circumstances instigated my abrupt relocation."

_Like Scarlet's death???_ All Tsuna could say was, "I-I hope you enjoy your stay here." _Argh, why did I say that? This place isn't a hotel!_

The three men standing behind Byakuran towered over Tsuna and he gulped, then looked back at Byakuran. They must be his followers! He said, while still smiling, "It's nice to have a warm welcome. Thank you, Officer."

"Uh…No…No problem." Tsuna blurted out uncouthly. "And your name is…?"

But he already knew.

"Byakuran," The angel man smirked at him, and Tsuna's heart staggered frantically in his chest at the face of the ill truth, "My name is Byakuran."

Tsuna couldn't help but return an awkward smile back. "It's…nice to finally meet you."

Without another word, he turned away and quickly hurried back up towards the podium. Giotto was busy monitoring the floor from the surveillance cameras. He didn't turn around when Tsuna neared, and he realised Giotto was now staring fixedly at Byakuran's cell. The man was leisurely unpacking his belongings – which happened to be a pillow, a toothbrush, a set of headphones and a photograph. Sooner or later, Giotto saw many of the resident D-Block prisoners gather at his cell door, as if they were waiting in line to get in.

"_He knows_…" Giotto muttered quietly under his breath.

"What?"

Giotto turned round sharply. "Tsuna? Sorry – I didn't hear you come."

Tsuna stepped back as Giotto stood up in his chair; it was an almost clumsy and abrupt action of Giotto, which Tsuna thought was strange for a man who he thought was perfect in almost every way. "It's alright. I was just going to ask if you had anything for me to do. I just went round the floor. The prisoners are doing fine."

"Very good," Giotto complimented, making Tsuna smile, "There really isn't anything to do, since Reborn hasn't returned yet from his expedition, so…why don't you take a walk? Familiarise yourself further with the place. You'll come to realise that there really isn't much to prison life. It's… quiet. The prisoners here aren't violent so don't expect anything out of the ordinary every day."

"Okay." Tsuna replied, and he threw his glance to the floor. "…Is something wrong, Giotto-san?" He felt nervous to ask.

"I'm fine." Giotto began, he took his hat off and brushed a hand through his hair. "….It's just… Lately, I feel as though I don't really belong here, Tsuna."

"…What do you mean?"

For a moment, the Commanding Officer paused, then he shook his head. "It's nothing important, Tsuna, honestly."

"No, no, you can tell me. I want to listen. You listened to what I had to say last time, so…" Tsuna flashed him an assuring smile.

"…You…want to…" Giotto let his sentence trail off, and then chuckled again, "…Well, have you ever had the feeling that you were born in the wrong place? It's almost the same for me."

"Then…why don't you change your job?"

He chuckled lightly at Tsuna's response, and Tsuna in turn, felt himself blush. "It's not as simple as that. Besides… You really want me to leave?"

Tsuna went redder even more and immediately shook his head. "No. No, I didn't mean it that way – of course I don't want you to leave, Giotto." He cringed further. Was that selfish of him to say so? He stumbled with his words, "…I-I like the fact that you're here."

He crossed his arms across his chest, and gazed back at Tsuna with a small smile. "You do?"

"Yeah, you're a nice boss…You're there for me. Well, I know it's part of your job, but - "

With that, Giotto chuckled loudly. "Not really. I care for my subordinates regardless." He then put his hand over his face. "Alright, we better get a move on. Tsuna, you will be following me today. I'll be teaching you a lot of procedures."

"Really? That's great!"

"Don't get too enthusiastic. I need to see if you can keep up with me." He grinned, "Ready?"

"Yeah!"

Giotto watched him differently this time, as he rested his hand under his chin, "You know, Tsuna… Compared to the other people who have worked under me, you're a lot different. And because of that, I like you, so don't disappoint me, alright?"

And Tsuna felt even more pleased. "I would never disappoint you, Giotto."

**Meanwhile…**

A terrible pain infiltrated his head and he groaned out loudly, raising his arms to clamp shut over his ears to blot out the noise. He had woken up with a start, his eyes darting left to right. He clutched at his head in agony, the whispering becoming louder and louder, like the howling echoes that follow in a tunnel of darkness, despite his effort to stop the noise. His head throbbed, and he tucked his head into his stomach as he sat on his knees. He roared out, and then suddenly, the voices were gone, and he lowered his arms back down.

He looked up to see darkness. And he sighed, dropped back to the floor to lie on his back. It was cold and grimy and he writhed around, unable to get comfortable. He was in The Hole, and now that the voices were gone, he could hear properly.

He heard water drip, probably from a leaky pipe somewhere, and he could hear someone breathing.

Groping around in the dark, Mukuro's palm came flat against a wall covered in a wet, sticky substance. Nothing surprised him anymore and he continued to feel around, coming across small, vertical and horizontal indents in the wall – tiles. He continued his search, eventually having to stand up, and he could feel that the tiles seemed to stretch on and on and on and on and –

There was a light coming from above.

It was a very small light in the middle of the darkness, and from where he was standing, it looked as though the place he was imprisoned was some underground cell, with a trapdoor above him, but with a small hole in it that was his only connection to the outside world, seeing as this seemed to be the source as to where the light was coming from. He winced, his exposed eye struggling to adjust. While the confounded contraption was now blocking his other eye's ability to see, it also subdued his vision to some extent. Seeing with one eye felt different, he realised. His knowledge of his surroundings so far told him that The Hole resembled something like a square-shaped well. And he was at the bottom.

The light grew fainter, and a red eye stared down at him through the small hole in the trapdoor.

"I have to tell you something." Someone whispered.

In response, Mukuro said, "…I didn't expect you to be here."

"This won't stop me from coming to you." said the voice. The red eye retreated, and Mukuro heard a soft creak, and suddenly, more light began to flood in as the hatch above his cell moved. A hand reached down for him. "Let's go for a walk, Mukuro." The voice added, "We have much to discuss."

Maybe they were right when they said that The Hole was haunted.

…………

Tsuna was tired by the end of the day.

Giotto had taught him how the cells were locked up and re-opened. Then he was taught how to subdue a prisoner if anything happened, which took at least three to four hours, with Ryohei being the unwilling participant. He was also taught how to shut down the Block after hours, and then he was given a gun.

"…But I've never used a gun before." Tsuna said uneasily when Giotto handed him the small revolver.

Giotto demonstrated to Tsuna with his own model. "You just hold it like this and pull the trigger. Yamamoto can teach you how to load it."

Tsuna went as pale as paste and looked down uneasily at the gun in his hand. "It's not that. What if an accident happens?"

"You should know when to use it and when not to. I trust your judgement," Giotto replied, tucking his gun safely back into its holster, "We didn't used to use guns. We had rings."

_Rings_. Tsuna had been hearing that word regularly. How on earth were rings used as weapons?? "So… guns are less harmful than…rings?" He didn't believe it at all.

"In a sense, yes." The Commanding Officer sighed somewhat, "They are forbidden because of the capabilities they hold. In the wrong hands, it could mean the destruction of…well, everything. There was once a policy allowing us to use rings, but the amount of harm it did was considered dangerous and therefore we returned to archaic systems that most normal prisons follow."

"So what exactly are rings?" For some reason Tsuna, felt embarrassed to ask.

"Just rings. You know, the ones people wear. Accessories. Only these rings had power, if you had the right ring_box_, and _flame energy_."

Tsuna felt his head spin. Ring box? Flame energy? With that, Giotto continued on with his explanation of the rings and their attributes – sky, thunder, storm, mist, cloud, sun and rain – Giotto was sky, and Yamamoto was rain, while Ryohei was of the sun attribute. Tsuna didn't know what attribute he was, and couldn't exactly keep up with the information and just found himself nodding along. He almost fell asleep when Giotto explained the history of rings, which were still partially unclear for unstated reasons.

"Good," Giotto said, once he was finished with the long monologue on the rings, "You seem to be catching on pretty quickly."

Tsuna hid his yawn once Giotto dismissed him for the day. Their training had finally come to an end for now -- He had avoided Byakuran like the plague, as Giotto forewarned -- although he found himself drawn to the angelic man like a magnet. If Byakuran was near, he'd look up, then quickly look away. And then he couldn't help but wonder if Byakuran was watching him back, too. Usually, he wasn't, much to Tsuna's (secret) disappointment.

But now the day was over and Tsuna figured he did an honest day of rigorous hard work of taking care of the prisoners and then subsequently didn't realise this sort of work would be so labour-intensive. In fact, he just realised that the prisoners lived a better work-free life compared to him; they could sit down whenever they wanted, they had access to a TV and a garden to loiter around, they also could go to the library. Hell, some of them even attended art class. Tsuna inwardly grimaced, held his grumbling stomach and hobbled out of D-Block by himself. Ryohei would be taking over graveyard shift tonight. The prisoners were already asleep in their cells.

Tsuna wiped the sweat from his forehead and fanned himself as he collected his towel and night wear. It was at least nine o'clock at night and he resisted the urge to throw himself over his bed and just sleep there, but he reeked of sweat and he felt generally uncomfortable if he didn't have a shower beforehand. He retired to the bathroom, with his arms and legs aching, and he could barely stand up right in the showering cubicle. He stood in the cubicle, enjoying the hot water soaking over his skin. But then –

The door opened.

And Tsuna re-opened his eyes.

It was Giotto.

"Eep! Giotto-san!" He literally screamed at the top of his lungs and made a frantic grab for his towel that was hanging over a rack a few inches from him. His feet slithered messily over the slippery tile surface and Tsuna flew backwards, hitting his head against the shower wall with a loud "_Oof!_" before slowly slumping down to the ground, seeing stars.

Giotto instantly rushed over to his aid, and Tsuna felt his arm being grabbed and he was being lifted back onto his two feet in a matter of moments. Shaking off the dizziness and the blurred vision, Tsuna gawped meekly back at his Commanding Officer, before realising that he was completely stark naked before him and tried to cover himself up with his hands. "Tsuna, how many fingers can you see?"

He narrowed his eyes, trying to focus as the three silhouettes of Giotto slowly merged into one. "Urh….four." He slurred out. When he finally got a hold of himself, he squawked out, "G-Giotto! What are you doing here?!"

He was relieved to see that Tsuna was fine. "…The shower in my office is broken." Giotto replied, as he stepped back out of the cubicle to make his way to the lockers. He began to strip himself of his outer attire and Tsuna immediately looked away, his blushing cheeks getting warmer and warmer with each minute. Giotto was soon almost half-naked, except from his white vest, before removing himself of his boots and socks, then his trousers and wandered over to a shower unit near Tsuna.

Tsuna stared.  
_Hard._

"What's wrong, Tsuna?" Giotto asked, the grin from his face never fading away. If Tsuna thought twice, he would've known that Giotto was actually…_teasing him_.

"Nuh…Nothing." Tsuna grunted out unresponsively. He had always been a shy one. He was one those people who, even when standing beside another man in front of the urinal in a public toilet, would feel uncomfortable. He bit his lip; he should've known this would happen inevitably, and that although Tsuna had been somewhat subconscious about his looks and body, he would have to get used to it.

"Anyway," The older man continued, pulling off his boxers just as Tsuna closed his eyes when he heard the material slip down his waist, "The shower's broken, so I have to come here."

"Oh." came Tsuna's meek reply. The shower cubicles were at least separated by half-height 'walls'. Only Giotto's head and naked torso were exposed, as well as his feet.

Giotto finished with a smile, "And Spanner said he could would try and fix it sometime this week." He rid himself of his vest and hung it over the rack, then pressed the button for hot water. He let the water run over him, before grabbing his shampoo bottle and squeezing the concoction into the palm of his hand. He then proceeded to mix it into his golden-brown locks, gathering a thick lather in his hands. "So how did you find the training you went through day?"

"It was alright. Good," Tsuna commented, and resumed his shower himself. "I didn't realise how hard this job actually was. I thought we just sort of stood around, like shepherds, and watched them, but there's so much to that."

"Believe me, it'll get harder."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, really."

The two men laughed before returning to their showering endeavours, but then –

"Tsuna, could you do me a favour? I can't reach my back." Giotto said, and he held out his bar of soap and a sponge towards Tsuna's direction.

"S-Sure…" He croaked out, his throat becoming dry all of a sudden as he stepped out of his cubicle to enter his Commanding Officer's.

He took the soap off him and began to rub the soap over his back, his eyes glued on the ivory, sleek skin in front of him. Giotto closed his eyes and put a hand on the shower wall for support, letting out a soft groan as Tsuna rubbed the soap over him, before going over the soap layer with the sponge. In response, Tsuna tried not to look 'down there' and kept his eyes glued onto Giotto's back. He couldn't help but follow the direction the water was trickling down, however, and watched it drip down his well-built body and follow the curve of his buttocks, and Tsuna blushed, his heart pounding furiously.

When he was done, Giotto stretched and turned to Tsuna, "Here, I'll help wash yours. Bring your stuff over."

"Eh…You don't have to – " He stopped in mid-sentence when Giotto began to massage his shoulders thoroughly and comfortably. Tsuna began to relax, and Giotto steered him to take his place further into the shower cubicle.

Giotto took Tsuna's own flannel from his cubicle and returned shortly, and Tsuna felt embarrassed, having to have his Commanding Officer help scrub his back, up and down and up and down with his flannel, but it didn't feel as though Giotto minded anyway_. Was this right?_ He thought, as he felt thoroughly relaxed all over. _Is this…right? He's still my superior. I'm sure there's still meant to be a barrier somewhere._ Giotto's fingers constantly brushed against his skin gently. Tsuna felt he would fall asleep any moment now. He felt Giotto's hand with the flannel move further down and down and...

He leapt slightly when he felt Giotto's hand cup over his member. "Giotto?!"

"Sorry." Giotto instantaneously retorted, and he turned away from Tsuna all of a sudden.

Tsuna blinked back at him worriedly. "….Giotto?"

"It's nothing," He uttered out, and then he stepped out of the shower cubicle, and grabbed the towel off the rack before draping it around his waist. Tsuna peered out of the shower cubicle to see Giotto putting on his jacket and trousers, and boots, before storming out of the washroom.

…………….

Outside, Giotto walked a distance away from the washroom and stopped in a random corridor, punched at the wall and sighed. He had almost let himself get carried away.

_You'll scare the kid_, he thought.

But he couldn't deny that he had _**some**_ sort of feeling towards Tsuna since he laid eyes on him, and it was just growing and growing with each passing minute, _somehow_. He wasn't even sure where it came from, just that it was already _there_, like as if it was innate, buried within him somewhere, and now that Tsuna had come to the reformatory, those innate and buried feelings were ignited, finally resurfacing, having been activated.

He groaned out in exasperation. _Is this even possible? _

_Well…  
__Yes.  
__In a way._

_You've seen what's happened in this Reformatory. _

_Anything is possible here. Explanations for the unexplained are practically fruitless._

_Maybe Reborn was right. _

_All this time, the Reformatory has felt different ever since Tsunayoshi came. Scarlet's dead and Rokudo Mukuro almost escaped. Byakuran arrived not so long before, either, and now all the suicides have happened. Tsuna's not cursed, but suddenly there's so many problems, and I…I feel as though…_

_It's as if Tsuna is needed here to sort everything out, as if he was…he was…Being called here._

_It's as if this place is his home. Where he belongs.  
__Well, he's here._

_Tsuna's finally home._

Giotto stayed in his spot for a few moments, as he re-established his thoughts and then let out another sigh, now feeling slightly better with himself. It was his duty now, he realised, to bring Tsuna to understand the reason why he was needed here.

_When I'm gone, Tsunayoshi will do a good job. Feelings are unnecessary. Whatever happens to me is unnecessary. As long as I have a replacement, I will be fine. _

Still, something about that logic felt a little off.

_I'm not __**using **__Tsuna_, he confided to himself again. _I will tell Tsuna when the time is right._

He took another deep breath and made his way back to the washroom. To his disappointment, Tsuna was already gone.

* * *

**Somewhere outside the Reformatory…**

An old man was sitting down at the desk in a hotel room writing a letter when they came.

It was roughly ten o'clock at night and he heard someone knocking gently on his door. The room service was here with his requested complementary services, he thought. He hadn't been waiting long, maybe about five or ten minutes. He set down his fountain pen and ink, and slid his feet into his slippers, then slowly got up from his chair, tucked it back inside. The knocking on his door grew more louder, more frantic.

"I'm coming," He called out, "Hold on."

He manoeuvred his way carefully through the floor of his hotel room, eventually arriving at the door before unlocking it. Unfortunately, they did not incorporate a spy-hole. To his surprise, it was not room service standing outside, but three men standing in the hallway. He did not recognise any of them. They were dressed in smart black suits, with sunglasses. One had a briefcase in hand, another clutching a phone. The one standing in the middle with a hand stuck inside one of the folds of his jacket.

"…May I help you?" The old man asked questioningly.

"Timoteo?" It was the man in the middle who spoke first. The other two remained quiet.

At first, the old man did not reply, and instead, he took off his reading glasses, wiped them clean with a cloth he protruded out from the pocket of his patched nightrobe, and then propped his glasses back over his nose. "And you are…?"

"Please come with us." The one in the middle said. He held out his hand – he was carrying a gun. "Come with us quietly, don't draw any attention to yourself and don't make us force our hand on you."

Timoteo watched the gun that was hovering in front of his nose. Then he calmly asked, "Who sent you?"

"…You will find out when we arrive at our destination." The man with the gun added, "May we remind you that you are in no position to resist."

He looked around briefly, then nodded. "I understand," Timoteo replied, "…I will come with you."

* * *

Sorry if everything seems so random! I needed to get this story moving along. It's already Chapter 11... I'm also thinking of renaming the chapters, so you guys can get an idea of what's happening in each chapter, if you get what I mean. I get kind of frustrated when I see long stories with Chapters just like Chapter 1, and Chapter 2 and so on until Chapter 20 or something. I personally find it hard to kinda remember what had actually happened if that was the case. What do you guys think?


	12. A New Generation

**Author's note:** I will not spoil who or what exactly broke Mukuro out of his prison. I think this chapter may give you a better idea, though.

Thank you for the kind reviews. You have motivated me to write more. And I've renamed the chapters for your enjoyment :D

**Chapter 12**

_A New Generation_

**A few days later…**

A prisoner was busy planting a bulb into a patch of mud he had prepared previously in the East courtyard. He covered the seed with as much mulch as possible, before patting the surface to make it nice and even with the plastic trowel, before using the watering can beside him. A few moments later, and he was sure he saw a leaf rustle in the distant. Rubbing his eyes, he blinked when a frog subsequently leapt out from the undergrowth and with a cry of alarm, he almost fell backwards; it was a tiny frog, just slightly larger than his thumbnail. He stared at it, as it hopped near his foot, and then awkwardly thrust his hand forward for the frog to leap forward onto.

"It's okay. I won't hurt you." He murmured, guiding his palm carefully towards the frog. It hopped into his palm regardless, and he stared at the mass of slimy green frog in his hand.

"Uishishi….What are you doing?"

He didn't find the looming shadow that had been approaching him surprising, yet the voice above him was enough to send a chill down his spine. He looked up and he realised it was merely a man with a mop of messy blonde hair that strayed over his eyes entirely, dressed in a black and white striped shirt and black trousers standing just inches behind him. His striped shirt thoroughly reminded him of the stereotypical criminal and it also thoroughly annoyed him to no end. He narrowed his eyes acutely and scowled before cupping his free hand over his palm with the frog and turned away. "Oh…Bel-senpai, it's you."

"Stop gardening. How many times do I have to tell you? Or do you want me to drive a knife into that thick skull of yours?" said the blonde.

"No."

"Why do you garden anyway?"

"I'm bored."

"Then go read a book at the library."

"I've read them all."

"Then go read them again."

"I already have, senpai."

"Haven't you noticed that nothing seems to grow in this garden?"

He looked around. Indeed, the garden was plain and there were no flowers seen at all. In other words, it was just a patch of grass and dirt. "That's not true. I've planted lots and lots of flowers and – "

"None of them has grown, idiot. There's obviously something wrong with the soil."

"No, the soil's fine. I checked. The pH for growing is just fine."

There were a few minutes of uncomfortable silence. "…What's that you got in your hands?" said the grinning blonde, realising that his partner had been hiding something from him. "Show me."

"No."

A visible vein popped in his blonde head immediately. "What was that? Show some respect to your seniors, frog, or I'll kill you. Now show me what's in your hand."

"No. You'll kill it. You kill everything you touch. You're cursed, senpai." The prisoner nicknamed 'frog' rebuked sternly.

With that, the blonde man felt the last of his patience wither away; he squatted down and they began bickering - they struggled – frog kept his hands clamped together and the blonde tried to pry them open. Eventually, after much effort, the blonde shoved him and used a trowel to hit him over the head, and frog let the blonde open his hands.

"A frog? It's a frog." He chuckled that 'uishishishi' laugh again, "Why am I not surprised? Oh, you finally decided that you wanted a pet yourself."

"Give him back, Bel-senpai." He said, though his tone was never exasperated or desperate. He would never plead or beg.

"It's just a stupid frog."

"What do you have against frogs anyway, senpai?"

"They remind me of you." The blonde grabbed the frog off him roughly, stood back up, and threw it to the ground.

"Hey…" He began, but when the blonde lifted his boot up, he cried out, "Stop - "

It didn't stop the blonde, and he stepped down, hearing an ear-splitting crunch, followed by a horrible, squishing noise. What was worse was that he drove the boot harder against the ground. "You're not allowed pets." The blonde barked at him, grinning despicably now, as he lifted up his boot to inspect the remains of squashed frog.

"….You killed it, Bel-senpai." He turned away immediately, not wanting to look.

The blonde was now wiping his boot on the grass. "We need to go back. Boss needs us. We're meeting Byakuran soon. If he sees you gardening, he's not gonna take the Boss seriously."

"But it's just me gardening, not Boss." He replied, and the blonde grabbed him and began to march him back towards the East Division, despite his partner's thorough attempts to go back. "Wait – my tools."

"When you're in the Varia, you represent all of us." The blonde hissed into his ear, "Am I clear, Fran?"

He sighed. "….Yes, Bel-senpai."

…

"Get up."

Mukuro let out a soft groan.

"Rokudo, get up. Or do we have to drag your sorry ass out of there?"

Mukuro shielded himself from the intense light above him, curling into a defensive position on the ground. He was lying on the bottom of The Hole, and there were two distinct silhouettes peering down from The Hole's entrance. He could make out that one of them was holding a torch. Another was holding a thick blindfold.

"Your time's over. You can get out now."

"…That was fast." Mukuro groaned out, when he felt himself being hoisted up and lifted out of The Hole. He was made to stand on his own two feet before they pulled his arms behind him and tied handcuffs back over his wrists.

"Fast? You were here for two weeks." One of the Correctional Officers, who wearing a black hood that completely shielded his face from view, barked roughly at him as he tied the blindfold over Mukuro's eyes.

"Two weeks." He let the words stroll out from his mouth, then he erupted into deep laughter as they forced him to lie horizontally over a soft surface. He was then strapped over four times – mid-torso, the arms, his waist and the legs. They then proceeded to wheel him out of wherever the Hole actually was.

"What's so funny? Did the loneliness finally rot your brains out?" He heard one of them say to him.

"Not really. I went on a walk."

There was a pause.

Then the two Correctional Officers sniggered, and then one made a shrewd, whistling sound, indicating mockery. He said, "Yeah, well, whatever you say. You can take plenty more "walks", assuming you don't get into any more trouble from here on. Got that, Rokudo?"

There was no response from Mukuro. Once they arrived at the West Division, they unstrapped him and pulled him off the trolley. He was made to sit down somewhere, the blindfold was removed and Mukuro let his eyes adjust to the hard light again. He was at the Visitor's centre, and the two Correctional officers who brought him out of The Hole were gone.

Opposite him, he recognised a familiar face.

Across from him, Nagi eagerly pointed to the phone that was bolted to the wall. She had already pressed the phone to her ear, and was now waiting keenly for Mukuro to do the same. He tiredly reached over and lifted the phone off the hook, then put it to his ear.

"Hello." She said eagerly down the receiver.

He was too tired to respond to that.

"I brought you something." She showed him the fancy basket of assorted fruits she had got for him off the internet. It was probably too flamboyant for him but she hoped he would understand her good intentions. She never really saw what it was like for the prisoners in their cell blocks, only in the Lab. She didn't really want to go into cells anyway; female members of staff always recounted tales of being subjected to sexual advancements made by prisoners. Generally, females didn't go into the cell blocks. The blocks were forbidden territory, forbidden for their own good, they decided.

"I heard you were getting out of The Hole today and wanted to see how you're doing." She replied, placing the basket back down on the floor. It was a wicker basket with bright ribbons curled by scissor blades and adorned with glitter, "…I'm worried about what they serve you."

Mukuro didn't reply.

"Did you sleep well when you were there?"

He watched her silently for a few moments. Then, he smiled wryly back at her, "…Yes. I had a lot of dreams."

"What kind of dreams?" She questioned. The more she looked at him, the more she thought that thing they put over his eye looked like some kind of advanced eyepatch but with a spyglass inside, along with wires drilled into his head. He probably felt no pain but there was excessive skin growing around the wire, as if they were now another unique part of his body. She could see his red, dilated pupil inside the looking glass, only she was not sure if he could see her properly. "Bad dreams?"

Mukuro hesitated. "Yes."

"They're just dreams. They don't mean anything."

When he retreated back to another spell of silence, Nagi swallowed down. Maybe it was good to change the subject, she thought, after sensing his seemingly reluctance to answer. "The thing they put in your eye…"

"Do you know how long they're going to keep it in there?"

Nagi shook her head meekly. "No, I'm sorry. I don't think they will any time soon."

"…It is a hindrance," He explained himself despairingly, although there was no need to. He was smiling apathetically at her, "I can't tell whether they are dreams or visions anymore."

Nagi was confused, but she listened on intently, her fingers fiddling with the tangled phone cord. Otherwise, he knew he had her attention regardless.

"These… dreams… They're always the same - I've been having them for a long time now; the one I told you about, when we went on a walk?" He said, flexing his palms leisurely as he leaned back in his chair. "Remember?"

She nodded, thinking back to the walk they had those few months ago. "Of course I remember. Did something more happen this time?"

"Yes."

She waited, and shifted herself in her seat uncomfortably, nervously. "Did you see me again? What happened? ...To me?"

He thought twice about telling her this. However, it was the truth, and he reckoned he should always be honest with the girl. He said, "…The one who hurts you… He stabs you twenty-six times." He replied curtly, "Then he stabs you in the eye, and leaves you for dead."

There were a few moments of silence.

Nagi's face was expressionless; he couldn't read it, even though he had always thought to be able to read people's emotions very well. However, the colour slowly drained from her face and she dropped the phone. It clattered to the ground, dangling by its cord. Behind the bandet screen, she stared hard at him, unable to detect any mirth or melancholy within his tone.

He tapped the glass, gestured for her to pick up the phone again. Again, he smiled.

She trembled slightly, her breath lodged in her throat. Nagi tore her eyes from him and slowly, she bent down; her hand shaking. She picked up the phone, and pressed the receiver over her ear again.

"Don't worry." He said, as his lips curled into a smile, "As you said before…it's just a dream. It doesn't mean anything."

**Meanwhile…**

"…Hayato, this is Tsuna. Tsuna, this is Hayato."

In his entire life, Tsuna had never felt so much negative tension in the atmosphere between two people who had just formally met. To be polite, he stuck his hand out to the prisoner, who Yamamoto was seeing, named Gokudera Hayato. He took a deep breath and held the hand with his cigarette out, but then Tsuna winced when he realised that he had merely sprinkled hot ashes from his cigarette onto the palm of his hand. Tsuna pulled back his scorching hand.

"Hayato!" Yamamoto exclaimed furiously, although he didn't sound as angry as he should've been. It was his nature, Tsuna then deduced. Yamamoto was far too forgiving.

Gokudera Hayato finally spoke. "I don't trust you. Don't like the look of you and therefore don't even want to be friends with you, let alone know you." He grunted without even looking at him, and Tsuna just felt awful. How could such a nice and friendly man be with such an obnoxious pig like Gokudera?

"Tsuna's trustworthy." Yamamoto protested, trying to get through to him. "He could've told on us right from the beginning but he didn't – "

"I don't care." With that said, Gokudera Hayato turned away and trudged back down towards the TV, with his hands in his pockets.

"Hayato!" He called out, but to no avail. Yamamoto spun round to Tsuna. "I'm so sorry. He's usually not like this. It's because his prison sentence was increased by two years…"

_Because he couldn't keep his anger in check_, Tsuna thought, but he kept a wide smile to Yamamoto. "It's okay, I understand." _The only thing I understand is that that man is not getting sympathy from me. What a creep!_

"I'll get him back." Yamamoto said, before taking off after him. Tsuna took this as an opportunity to saunter away quickly.

He ended up arriving at Byakuran's cell, who was just emerging out, in the middle of a conversation. To Tsuna's surprise, he was not accompanied by any of his men this time. And his room was empty. "Oh?" said Byakuran, raising a refined eyebrow in response, and he gave a very distinguished wave with his hand, "Good morning, Officer."

"Morning." Tsuna replied pleasantly, much obliged to the polite gesture although he was a little confused, "…Uh...Who were you just talking to there?"

Byakuran looked at him expectantly, then looked at his room. "I beg your pardon?"

"…." Tsuna swallowed down. Maybe he had just been hearing things. "…How is everything?"

"Fine. I slept very well last night; in fact, D-Block is much better than L Block." Byakuran mused, somewhat dreamily with a lazy smile gracing his features. "Might I ask what you were doing outside my cell, Officer?"

It just dawned to Tsuna that he had been in fact, lingering outside Byakuran's cell. He swallowed down and shook his head quickly. "N-Nothing. Just wanted to see if you were up. Everybody else is up."

"That's very kind of you." Byakuran replied sincerely, "….Scarlet used to do the same. He checked up on me every morning and at night. But on completely different circumstances. He thought I was a murderer."

At that point, Tsuna froze up all over.

"I'm sorry; I've put you into an awkward position, haven't I? I didn't mean to bring it up." Byakuran chuckled light-heartedly when Tsuna threw his numb gaze to the floor. "Would you like to go for a walk? I'll teach you about flowers again, as compensation for that snide comment I made about you."

Tsuna was confused. "….A walk?"

"Yes."

"Um…"

"Tsuna!"

Tsuna winced at the furious voice that had entered the atmosphere. The two men looked up to see Giotto. He was storming towards them, his usually soft expression clouded with anger. He glared at Byakuran and then turned to Tsuna. He grabbed his arm and Tsuna flinched slightly in pain. "Ow…Giotto-san, you're – "

The grip tightened. "I need to talk to you."

"S-Sure…" Tsuna was then dragged along firmly by the arm by Giotto back out of the Cell block, with Byakuran watching them keenly with a smile.

He turned to one of the prisoners who had just passed him. It happened to be Gokudera Hayato. "Why is Giotto-san so concerned about that Officer?"

"Goldilocks?" Gokudera took a deep drag from his cigarette and then puffed some smoke out into the air. "…He's a new recruit."

"Oh, he's new?" Byakuran's smile widened, and Gokudera passed him, marching back to his cell. "That's… interesting."

…..

In the corridor, Giotto finally let Tsuna's wrist go and the boy meekly cradled his aching arm to himself. "What on earth were you thinking back there?" Giotto snapped at him angrily; his expression scared Tsuna – he had never seen Giotto use that face on him before. It was just like when Mukuro had held Tsuna hostage back then… but this time, Giotto was furious at Tsuna.

"I wasn't going to go on a walk with him – "

"But you've taken a 'walk' with him before?"

"…Yes." was Tsuna's guilty reply.

He couldn't help but shrink away from him, and Giotto began to pace the corridor up and down restlessly, before turning back to the younger boy and emphasizing helplessly with his arms. "Tsuna, that man is dangerous. Leave him to me, Takeshi and Ryohei. I don't want you to go near him, do you understand?"

"Yeah…"

He wasn't convinced, and instead, he grabbed Tsuna and pinned him to the wall by the wrists again. "What if something happened to you?" He snarled under his breath, his deep eyes sinking into his. Tsuna swallowed down distinctively as he felt Giotto move his knees apart by using his own leg to move in between, and Tsuna was forced upwards against the wall, now being sustained in the air. "What if…What if he gets you too?"

"I-I won't let him." He stammered out, going cross-eyed with Giotto.

"It's not that easy, Tsuna!" He roared, his grip tightening over the younger boy's wrist, and now Tsuna truly felt afraid, "I won't be here all the time, and neither will Takeshi or Ryohei!"

"I'll…I'll be okay…I can look after myself."

"No, you can't – you're not ready yet, Tsuna, and you just don't get it, do you? If anything were to happen to you, I'd… I'd… well; I wouldn't know what I'd do without you!" Giotto yelled out – but now it seemed he was more frustrated with himself, "I wouldn't know what to do without you, alright?"

"….B…But why?"

"Because you mean a lot to me, Tsunayoshi." Giotto muttered out, now having calmed down, "…You...You don't understand."

"You can tell me." Tsuna implored. Although he did not know the reason why his Commanding Officer was behaving this way, he felt as though he could feel Giotto's inner, conflicting tumoils at the moment. "...I won't understand if you don't tell me."

Giotto's grip on Tsuna loosened a little, and his mouth opened slightly to some extent. "I..." He looked confused. Then his expression clouded somewhat, looking frustrated, then almost...helpless. "I can't tell you."

"Then show me."

He gazed at Tsuna wordlessly, then his eyes landed on Tsuna's parted lips. Giotto hesitated, He leaned forward slowly, and Tsuna remained rigidly stiff against the wall, as Giotto leaned further and further in, about to close the gap – and surprisingly enough, Tsuna tilted his head forwards slightly, as if to accommodate the inevitable contact. His lips brushed over Tsuna's.

_No...it's too early. I-I can't -_

Giotto let go of him roughly and stepped back, before abruptly taking off down the corridor.

"W-Wait!" Tsuna called out, but Giotto was already gone.

**Somewhere outside the Reformatory…**

The hotel had an abundance of clients; most of them were businessmen, all adorning black suits with briefcases in hand. The receptionist didn't find it particularly surprising when the young man, who was clad in black with a matching fedora hat, was asking about the guest in Room one-oh-two. When he supplied her with enough information concerning his relation to the old man who had been staying in that particular room for the past five days, she looked away from her computer screen and said, "You are… his grandson?"

He smiled dryly at her. "...Yes, that is correct."

"Well, sir, according to our records…your grandfather hasn't checked out."

"I see." The young man replied, "May I have a key to his room?"

"Yes, of course, sir. But I need you to fill out this form." She handed him a document and a pen from her cupboard. "Just imprint your name here, and sign here, and there." She drew little crosses on the two lines that required his signature.

"No problem."

He took the pen and quickly signed his name before handing it to the receptionist. In response, she handed him the spare keycard to Room one-oh-two. Her expression bunched up when she saw the name on the sheet.

"…'Reborn'?" She uttered quietly to herself. What kind of name is that? An alias?

"…I'm sorry, sir, but could you re-sign this – " She immediately spotted a green… thing that was riding on the brim of his hat which occurred to her, looked a lot like a... lizard, "…Sir, we don't allow pets – " She asserted firmly, after realising what the green, shaft-like blob perched atop his hat actually was.

The young man turned back round. "Pet?" He said, raising a refined eyebrow.

With that, the green blob began to bubble and the receptionist rubbed her eyes when the green blob turned into a shiny brooch shaped into a chameleon. "B-But I was sure…"

The young man smiled gently at her, "Is there a problem, Miss?"

She swallowed down, and looked at the sheet in her hand. then she shook her head and apologised.

"It's quite alright." He took off his bow and bowed at her, then propped it back over his head and began to make his way towards the direction of the elevators, the receptionist eyeing him warily the entire time, before picking up her phone and punching in a few buttons.

His eyes narrowed slightly. She's probably calling security, he thought. Better make this quick.

When the elevator arrived, he hastily entered and pressed the designated number, and waited for the lift to go up. The lift stopped shortly and he stepped out, then made his way towards Room 102. He stopped outside the door and then jammed the keycard in before opening the door.

The room was quiet.

"Timoteo-san?" He called out.

There was no response.

Indeed, the room was empty and devoid of the guest's presence. How the hotel did not notice anything suspicious for the past week was strange. Guess they didn't look after their customers as much as their mission statement said, he thought, as he picked up the hotel's advertisement card off the table. It said: 'We aim to look after our guests as much as possible', followed by a complaint helpline. He put it back down and returned to the rest of the room.

The bed was made, and the sheets, cleaned because the housekeeping staff would've come by obviously. Two suitcases stood by their lonesome next to the closet, and Timoteo's jacket and outdoor shoes were missing from the hangar. In place, was his nightrobe, slippers and the rest of his night garments. He went over and inspected them carefully, then returned to the suitcases. They were still locked, the padlocks unmoving.

On the table, he couldn't find anything of interest except from a few sheets of paper the hotel provided. He went through the cupboards but couldn't find anything else of importance or of attention to detail.

It was as if Timoteo had completely vanished into thin-air.

Sighing, he sat down on the chair of the table and looked around. This was certainly odd. He had no idea what was going on. He set his hat down, and Leon transformed back into his original shape, twittering up at him affectionately.

"…What happened here?" He murmured to himself, and he moved out of his chair, accidentally brushing against the table.

To his surprise, something white flipped out from under the cupboard of the table and he paused, then reached out for it slowly. It was cleverly jammed inbetween the cupboard hinge and the table surface, rendering it hidden. He slowly eased it out, trying not to rip it, and then unfolded it.

In black ink, it said: THEY CAME FOR ME

Who came for him? He put down the letter when he heard someone knocking on the door. Cautiously, he manoeuvred his way forwards and opened the door. A smartly-dressed man with slicked back hair in his mid-twenties stood there, adorned in a bleached white suit. "Pardon me, but… You are Timoteo's grandson?" The man said.

He replied back suspiciously, "…Yes. Do you know where he is?"

"Allow me to introduce myself first. My name is Zakuro." The man initiated a short bow and held his hand out, but the young man did not shake it. He smiled wryly back in response and pulled his hand back, then he continued on, "I don't know where your grandfather is, but…These strange men came for him the other day. I heard them talking outside my door; they took Timoteo-san away… and he never came back since."

**Back in the Reformatory…**

"Hm? You...want to find out more about Giotto-san?"

Tsuna nodded viciously to convince Yamamoto. "I would've asked him personally but I can't seem to find him anywhere..." Perhaps Giotto was avoiding him after that little scenario back in the corridor? He quickly shook his head mentally. No, Giotto was a responsible, mature man and would not act this way.

"Oh, well, sure, just ask me anything. I'll try and help you out as much as I can." Yamamoto grinned back, "Actually, I know a very good place to start. Come with me."

They left the Podium to Ryohei's care and sauntered out of D-Block towards the West Division, arriving a few stair flights down to the Visitor Reception room. Yamamoto beckoned Tsuna over to the wall at the very far end, which was covered in hundreds of photographs. Standing nearby were two trophy cabinets filled with elaborate rewards, newspaper clippings, and tonnes of framed photographs and medals. While Tsuna was distracted by the sheer shininess radiating from the collage of metal and lighting display, Yamamoto steered his attention back to the wall.

"This picture here will tell you everything."

Tsuna squinted at the photo Yamamoto had shown him. A large group of people were featured in it; the majority he had not seen before were there. Some he recognised, such as Reborn, and Giotto, who was nearer the front, standing beside other Officers in the same uniform as his. "Who are these people?"

"They're the Commanding Officers and Correctional Officers, about six to seven years ago, or more, I think. Before the new generation of Correctional officers anyway."

"New generation?"

"Yeah, me, you, and Ryohei and some others. This photo was taken just a few months before I arrived, apparently. Look, there's the Chaplain, the Governor, the Governor before him and his daughter - There's even Giotto's father." Yamamoto pointed to a man standing at the very right end, "He was the original D-Block Commanding Officer."

Tsuna squinted his eyes. The man didn't look much like Giotto, with his sharp, dark eyes and cloudy demeanour as he stood stiffly beside a man who strikingly resembled Gokudera Hayato. "Giotto-san's...father? Is he still here?"

"No, unfortunately. There was... an accident. I heard the loss was devastating to Giotto-san."

"Oh..." He croaked out uncomfortably. "Look. There's Dino… and Reborn." Tsuna pointed to the two familiar figures. "And…these people in front of them, in the same line as Giotto – "

"They're the Guardians. Well, Giotto was the first, actually."

With that statement, Tsuna perked up. "…Guardians?"

Yamamoto nodded. "Yeah. They were the first, and… unfortunately, the only protectors the Melone Reformatory had."

"But I've never seen these people around."

"That's because they're gone." Yamamoto replied, digging his hands into his pockets, "They were all really close, almost like family, and they were given these rings, of all the attributes, to protect the Reformatory, if anything went wrong. But I don't know what happened to the rings they were given once they all left. Giotto was a Guardian too."

"He was?" Tsuna was stunned. "And now, they're all gone..."

"Yeah."

"Giotto-san must be lonely." Tsuna mumbled. Was that why he had told him before he felt as though he no longer had a place in the Reformatory anymore? "…The ringbox policy…"

"….After the ringbox policy, they disbanded, I guess." Yamamoto sulked slightly. "There was no more need for rings, so I suppose they left for better reasons. It would've been cool to meet them, huh? They look so mature and strong."

Tsuna chuckled slightly. "What happened to the rings?"

"They're stashed somewhere safe. Someone's looking after them. It would be cool to see those up close, too."

"Hm, I see. Hey…what happened to that man there?" Tsuna pointed to a particular man in the photograph who was in a wheelchair. The man looked dreadful, his skin was washed out and his eyes tired and weary.

"That's Genkishi, the Commanding Officer of L-Block."

"I've seen him. well, I think I have. But he's not in a wheelchair anymore."

"No, no, his legs work perfectly fine. It's just that, when they took that picture, he was recovering from a terminal illness."

"Terminal illness?"

"Yup," Yamamoto replied, "But he's alright now. I wonder what happened to him...?"

...

It was much later on in the evening, and Giotto was trying to read a book even though the events today haunted him to no end. He got his priorities and his emotions mixed up and almost ruined everything, which he found strange and foreign of him to do so. Feeling foolish for his actions earlier on, he mentally kicked himself several times. He attempted to approach Tsuna at some point during the day but his nerves got to him. Damn it, he thought. He perceived himself a mature and responsible adult and now something like this had him reduced to a nervous wreck. This was childish, and foolish of him to act like the way he was now. He even forced himself on the poor boy, and Tsuna would possibly never forgive him.

_I should apologise for my behaviour_. _But it's late, and the Officer's subdivision is quite far from the Correctional Officer's section._

Nevertheless, he slid out of his bed and opened the door, just to see a certain Officer standing outside with his fist raised in mid-air. "Ah! Sorry, I was going to knock…" Tsuna squawked out, bringing his fist down.

"…Tsuna? What…What are you doing here?"

He said, "I-I wanted to see you - "

"...You do?"

Tsuna spoke quickly. "I wanted to say sorry." He stuttered slightly, "I'm sorry, Giotto. I'm sorry. I know what kind of man Byakuran is. And I didn't mean to get you so worked up over me. I know you care, and that's why you got so angry at me. B-Back in the showers that day, and what happened in the corridor, you – " Tsuna stopped himself before he could say more. "I… just wanted to let you know that… it's okay."

For a moment, there was another unfitting silence. Giotto raised an eyebrow questioningly. "...?"

"I mean - " Tsuna began, but then he was stuck for words. He scratched at his head profoundly. "You're not alone anymore." _B__ut don't be scared that you'll lose me, like the way you lost your father, and...Your friends. _Tsuna pondered whether he should've added that part to his sentence. He chose not to as he felt as though he didn't know precisely all the details. "...People used to call me No-Good… I had no friends and I thought there was a problem with me, but, deep inside I know that's not true. So... don't blame yourself…for some things that had happened to you."

"Tsuna..."

"And-And I also wanted to tell you that I really like you." He then proceeded to babble out, clenching his fists slightly, his face flushing slightly. "And I'll always be there for you. I won't disappoint you, Giotto, I could never do that to you." Deciding that he had embarrassed himself and wasted his superior's time enough with his useless ramblings, he went red again. "I-I should g-go, it's getting late… I'm sorry, I didn't know what I was thinking, coming all the way out here... See you tomorrow, goodnight."

Without another word, Tsuna stumbled back, but then he felt a grip on his arm preventing him from doing so.

"Don't go yet."

Surprised, Tsuna turned back round.

"It is getting late, and it's a long walk back to your room." Giotto said, as Tsuna blinked back up at him, "…Maybe you should stay here for the night."


	13. Faustus

There's some LWP in this chapter, maybe OOC, too. I figured this story may just end up being G27, 1827, 6927 and 10027 only but I'm starting to wonder how to 'divide' Tsuna up between the guys. Err, that sounded wrong. Poor Tsuna. I guess he'll have to yo-yo back and forth (lol a Tsuna yo-yo) xDD

Regardless, I hope you enjoy this chapter (For some reason, I am remembering someone who once reviewed on another story saying that a chapter is never too long).

**Chapter 13**

_Faustus_

They had 'kissed' before so it was not so different now except from the further addition of Tsuna with his back against Giotto's bed, along with the owner of the bed hovering above him. Their lips smothered each other's clumsily, almost desperately, as Giotto swiftly undid Tsuna's night shirt before moving onto his pants. Giotto's nightrobe and shirt was already discarded on the floor. It was not surprising as they had felt a mutual, almost instinctive attraction to one another, only now it felt as though the passion had reignited; a sense of rediscovery. And now they had the opportunity to explore it with a rigorous and heated, profound intensity which was theirs for the taking. The darkness of the room, and the heat, which also appeared to have escalated several degrees didn't seem to bother them; the heavy, panting breaths from both men were the only sounds in the room.

They pulled back for a few seconds, gazing into each other's eyes for a few brief moments, before Giotto claimed Tsuna's lips again in another fierce kiss. His lips trailed down, down his chin and neck, to his naked chest and across his nipples, Giotto sucking hard on each hardened nub which had Tsuna crying out. He had longed to do this, he realised. Romance didn't seem to be the key word here, only blind passion, maybe lust, even, and it drove him wild, crazy to no end, now that he had what he wanted.

It didn't seem intent on stopping either; and if one of them said a word, it would only spoil the moment. His lips moved down to his waist, and Tsuna held his breath in when the band of his pants were dragged off him and he felt the fabric now dropping to his ankles. What came of his underwear was unknown but he knew he was now naked before his Commanding Officer. Breathing heavily, his legs were spread apart, and Tsuna felt truly vulnerable even though Giotto's lips latched onto his again, as if it was an action of reassurance. But then -

"Wait." Tsuna squeaked out, and Giotto let go. "I don't think I'm ready yet. Are…Are we going too fast?" He questioned meekly, averting his gaze from Giotto to the side. There was a long silence following his statement. Immediately, he cringed.

But Giotto smiled, and pulled himself back up to some extent off the younger Officer. "You like things to go slow and steady?"

"There's still a lot about you I don't know, like the Guardians – "

Immediately, he intervened, "How do you know about the Guardians, Tsuna?" His grip on his wrist tightened somewhat.

"….I saw the picture.."

The grip around Tsuna's wrist loosened. "…That was a long time ago, Tsuna." Giotto replied resignedly, and then he sighed. "…Alright. That's enough for tonight. I'm going to sleep - " He paused and grabbed his covers, then turned back to Tsuna. "But you're sleeping here with me. That's an order."

With that, Tsuna blushed as Giotto grinned back at him, before swooping down on him with the covers.

**Next morning. 7am.**

When Tsuna woke up the following morning, he felt rejuvenated and let out a satisfied yawn. He tried to remember last night's scenario, but now it felt like a blissful dream which was already forgotten by the time he woke up. Surprisingly, Giotto was nowhere to be seen. He sat up in bed, looking around frantically, then spotted the Commanding Officer in his en-suite bathroom, shaving. He breathed a sigh of relief and climbed out of bed, pulling the covers along with him.

"Morning."

He was only dressed in a white vest and his black slacks, a glimmering dogtag hanging around his neck. "Good morning." Giotto grinned and turned to him, accidentally nicking his chin in progress with his razor. "Ow."

"Are you alright?" Tsuna questioned worriedly, seeing little drops of blood trickling down the white cream covering his chin.

"Yeah. Just a small cut. It stings…" He murmured under his breath as he tended to the small graze.

"…Your hand's shaking."

The cut was covered with a wet tissue for the time being. "From all the action last night." Giotto retorted with another smirk, looking away from the younger man to his reflection on the mirror cabinet, and Tsuna's face went ten different shades of red. Giotto's hand didn't seem intent on staying in place as he lifted the razor back up to his neck. "Damn it."

"I'll help." Tsuna took the razor off Giotto's hand and turned to face him directly. Unfortunately, he was a little on the short side compared to the older man and he had to go up on tiptoe.

Giotto chuckled, sensing Tsuna's slight difficulty, and then hastily swept Tsuna off his feet effortlessly, an arm under his knees and around the small of his back, earning a shocked 'eep!' from the younger officer's lips, as Giotto then proceeded to place him carefully on top of the sink counter top. He then carefully manoeuvred himself to stand, his legs touching Tsuna's knees, his hands on either side of his legs. "Better?" Giotto said, smirking lightly.

"Much better." Tsuna replied, and he couldn't help but blush as he took the razor off Giotto, their hands touching in process. He shivered involuntarily. "Hold still."

Giotto did as he was told and let Tsuna apply a new layer of shaving cream over a section of his chin. He dragged the blade up slowly, concentrating hard not to cut Giotto in process. Their faces were very close to each other, and Tsuna averted his gaze down, and sighed. "What's wrong?" Giotto asked.

"It's just…" Tsuna looked at the razor, and then tapped it free of cream on the basin, before replacing some more cream over a small section of Giotto's neck, concentrating on a small spot, "I was thinking about last night, and… I really don't know much about you. Look up."

Giotto complied as Tsuna cautiously sculpted away at the cream, careful not to nick his chin. "What do you want to know about me?" He asked, smiling lightly.

"I… don't know. Anything."

"There isn't much about me you would find particularly interesting." He replied truthfully, looking down now; but Tsuna put a hand under his chin to lift his head back up to get rid of some leftover stubble. He had withdrawn his smile in process as Tsuna smeared away at some leftover cream carefully with the razor. "…I'm a very boring person."

"No," Tsuna immediately gushed at him, shaking his head and waving his hands around, cream flying from the razor in process, "You're not boring! Not at all. In fact, you're so…mysterious. About the photograph." Tsuna then blurted out, growing red again. "The one downstairs, with all the Guardians…They all… left?"

"Yes." Giotto let go of the sink with one hand to brush away some stray hairs from Tsuna's face, leaning in close.

"Oh." Now Tsuna felt truly guilty for making Giotto recall painful memories. "…I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It was their choice to leave, and I respected their wishes." Giotto leaned forward, and murmured huskily in Tsuna's ear, his voice lowered to a hoarse whisper, although there was also a stronger, despondent tone in his voice. "…I was given a choice too. I chose to stay."

Tsuna's heart began to beat wildly as he received a shiver down his spine. "W-Why did you stay?"

"My father would have wanted it." was Giotto's response, and he wrapped an arm around Tsuna, the other stroking his thigh absentmindedly. "…Besides…If I didn't stay, I would not have had the chance to meet you, my little Tsunayoshi."

Tsuna blushed furiously once more and looked away in embarrassment, as Giotto took one of his hands and rubbed it gently with his own. "Giotto…" Tsuna muttered, smiling sheepishly, when Giotto raised it to his lips and kissed his knuckles. When he looked back up, Giotto was leaning in again, and he allowed himself to be kissed gently.

Tsuna pulled back this time, feeling something wet on his nose. He used a finger and dabbed on it, realising that some of the shaving cream had also gone over his face as well. "Giotto! You got shaving cream all over me…" He cried, giggling lightly.

"I'll get cream on you in other places, if you'd like." He replied, pulling Tsuna into his embrace again, now leaning over to nuzzle at his neck affectionately.

With that, Tsuna went red even more, and he couldn't help but wriggle in his seat as Giotto's hair tickled his chin. Giotto let go of him to some extent and gazed back into his eyes, and placed his hands on Tsuna's face and used his thumb to brush away some more hair from his face. All Tsuna could do was blush and smile back at him awkwardly as his back was pushed against the mirror cabinet. In a matter of moments, Giotto had planted his lips firmly back over the younger boy's again, pressing down firmer, deeper. His hands left Tsuna's face, escaping down to explore his exposed chest and down his stomach, towards the waistband of his trousers and under, and Tsuna felt himself stiffen slightly.

Nevertheless, Giotto pressed him closer to his hot body, retreating his hand and holding him close with one strong arm back under the back of his knee, the other snaked around his waist. Tsuna couldn't help but grab onto his shoulder for support, his fingers going under the straps of his vest and running along the smooth contours of bare muscle. He moaned into Giotto's mouth as he felt the Commanding Officer's hand let go of his thigh, and slide down into his pants to grasp around his erection and pump it slowly.

Tsuna let out a meek cry, tilting his head back, and lifting his hips up as if to further accommodate his hand. "Ah…! Giotto…"

Giotto pulled back, panting heavily. He was far from over. But then -

"Giotto? Are you awake yet?" A voice called from behind the door to Giotto's room. It was Dino.

Tsuna whipped his eyes down to the Commanding Officer who had paused in his endeavours, before promptly letting go. "W-What do we do?"

He looked frustrated and ran a hand through his hair. "…Hide."

"Hide?"

However, Giotto now responded with much growing enthusiasm. "Hide!" And with that, the two quickly scrambled up and out of the en-suite; Tsuna pulled his pants up to their original positions around his waist, grabbed the rest of his belongings and Giotto quickly opened the closet door to let Tsuna climb inside. He slid the door shut once Tsuna was inside properly and went to the door. "Hold on, I'm coming." He opened the door and Dino was there. Inside the closet, Tsuna held his breath and listened carefully.

"Giotto, you're late!"

"…Late?" came the Commanding Officer's unfocused reply.

"Don't you remember? There's a meeting between Commanding Officers this morning! The Deputy Governor's returning tonight and we were meant to plan something." Dino exclaimed in surprise, taking in Giotto's dishevelled appearance including the remaining shaving foam dabbed all over his chin and neck. He wasn't even properly shaved yet. "You were the one who called it."

"I… did...? I did. Oh, yes, so I did." Giotto muttered out, and Tsuna couldn't help but grin and shake his head; he could then hear Giotto fumbling around for his clothes. Then – "Alright, let's go." Giotto declared out loud, as he looked back into his room, at the direction of his closet. "Oh, before I go, I'm going to leave my door UNLOCKED."

Tsuna cringed and he was sure he could see Dino look at Giotto strangely through the little horizontal gaps of the closet. Then he heard the door shut. He breathed a sigh of relief and stepped out of the closet. He crept out of Giotto's room and slowly shut the door, tiptoeing back down the hallway. Tsuna had to admit, he was certainly starting to look forward to the days that would come.

**East Courtyard. 8am.**

Prisoner 24890N had been in the Reformatory for twenty years, having served nineteen already. He had a wife and two children back at home, and were looking forward to see their faces again; his release date was due, and if on good behaviour, the chances of him being released even earlier were high. During his prison years, he had developed a tight reputation; he was a loyal and promising man, and had built his own group of people formed from mafia misfits who ended up devoting themselves to him. When he heard Byakuran of the Millefiore wanted to see him, he had wanted to refuse him first, but decided it would not hurt to hear what the young man wanted to say. But what he had expected was unfortunate.

"That's it? You asked to see me by myself all the way out at this ungodly hour just to ask _**me**_ to join_ you_? Hell no. No no no no no."

Standing in the middle, Byakuran smiled. "Your efforts are remarkable. Are you sure?"

"Yes. I don't want any trouble. I don't want to get involved with your shit anyway. I ain't no babysitter. An' I also know you just came here not too long ago – well, let just tell you this – you have a long way to go. You better grow out of your diaper quick."

"Is that really your final answer?"

Prisoner 24890N barked out, "I don't want anything to do with you. So get the hell outta my face. You ain't getting help from me."

"…I see. And that's really too bad." Byakuran replied, although he was no longer smiling anymore. "I will take my leave."

"Whatever."

The man was pleasant regardless, and this irked him to no end. "Thank you for seeing me today. Oh, and to show my gratitude, I've organised a nice surprise waiting for you back in your Cell Block. I made sure."

"Wha - ?"

But Byakuran had left already.

When Prisoner 24890N returned back to his cell block, most of the cellmates were still asleep, and the Officers were still gathered up in the Podium. Back in his cell, he looked around cautiously but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. He chided himself for feeling apprehensive towards Byakuran earlier on. What surprise? There was nothing here. The man was bluffing. He mentally felt a lurch in his chest, however. He felt unnerved.

His cellmate was already awake and was now sitting at the bottom bunk, with his bath supplies ready, apparently waiting for shower time. "How was your meeting with Byakuran of the Millefiore?" His cellmate enquired suspiciously.

"Shit." Prisoner 24890N grunted out as he moved to the table and stool. "He's a pretty ass little runt who's spoiled as hell. If he doesn't get what he wants, he throws a tantrum and stomps his feet around. I don't give a shit about these people, not when I'm almost done with this place. Besides, what that guy is doing is wrong. There's nothing in this Reformatory."

"You really believe that?"

"Yeah."

"…I guess you refused his offer then. That's really too bad…" His cellmate said, placing the magazine down on the small table.

"What's up with you? Why do you care about that?"

There was a slight silence. "…You know, if you had agreed to join Byakuran, you would've had this." His cellmate said, brandishing a ring from nowhere, and a corresponding ringbox. It was purple. A mist ring.

The astonishment on Prisoner 24890N's face was hard to distinguish. "…What the hell…?"

…

There was something wrong in Cell 0, and immediately, the two Correctional Officers rushed downstairs and unlocked the door hastily. Upon entry, the blood seeped to their boots and they leapt, surprisingly unfamiliar with seeing the sight, and they froze slightly in their tracks and stared. One of the prisoners was on the floor, drenched in blood. His wrists were slit, with red, pinkish flesh bulging out, the veins sliced in half. The smell was unbearable, and standing above him, was the cellmate.

One of the Commanding Officers was quick. "You, get on the ground now! Get the fuck on the ground! Put your hands up where I can see them!" He screamed anxiously, whipping out his gun, "What the hell happened here?"

"He….he tried to kill himself..." The cellmate slowly put his hands behind his head as he was told, and a Commanding Officer rushed over to him and immediately handcuffed him while another quickly pulled out his radio and yelled instructions for a stretcher to be arranged and brought to the Cell Block.

**D Block. 8am.**

"Master."

_THUD._

"Master - "

_THUD._

"Master, my legs really hurt. Can I sit down now?"

"No."

Mukuro, who was sitting on the chair a few feet away, grabbed a fork from the plate beside him and threw it directly at Fran's head again. The flying fork that was aimed towards his direction made him squeeze his eyes shut and hope for the best. _THUD_. The fork landed in the apple that was positioned atop of his hat. Bulls-eye. The handle stuck out of the apple, vibrating fiercely.

Fran opened his eyes again, wincing, and realised he had escaped unharmed again. The apple split into two pieces and crumbled to his feet, along with the fork. He reached out to his left, took another apple from the basket and put it on top of his hat. "But Master, I have something to tell you."

"And what might that be?" Mukuro asked. He remembered the first day he met Fran, who was sentenced for a couple of years unwillingly along with an acquaintance called Belphegor, a trained assassin who mentioned Fran's name during a court trial and inevitably got the two of them thrown in prison together - the overwhelming evidence and lack of alibi meant it was inevitable this would happen. Mukuro had taken some form of sympathy towards him back then and had taken the young prisoner under his 'wing', like he had with many others, such as Chikusa and Ken, who were now cleverly disseminated by the authorities within other Cell Blocks to avoid the majority of social contact.

Fran spoke again, "…My other Master is supposed to meet up with that man named Byakuran today." And Mukuro angled another fork to be aimed at the direction of his head. He continued, "They're probably going to become friends. And they might want to know if Master wants to be friends with them, too."

Mukuro looked at him, cocked his head to the side slightly. "Friends?" He broke out into deep laughter. "…Not interested."

"Hm? Master isn't interested in having friends? Then, what is Master interested in then?"

"….Toys." Mukuro replied absent-mindedly, "Like you, for example. And that Officer over there – " He looked to the side, where a particular mousy-brown haired Correctional officer was busy waddling around the prison floor, and smirked. "You have amused me enough. You are dismissed." He threw the fork anyway, without looking, and then he got out of his seat.

Fran blinked and looked upwards at the fork his Master had thrown that was now sticking out of his forehead, going slightly cross-eyed. He pulled it out, flinching again, and rubbed at the three minute grazes with his fingertips. He felt something wet dripping down his eyebrows and lashes now. "…Oh, I'm bleeding. You forked me, Master."

Mukuro smiled at him and patted his head. "Then it's off to the Infirmary for you."

"But going to the infirmary requires an Officer to escort me. Oh, there's one over there – Officer!" Fran called out, but the Officer hadn't heard. Mukuro stepped forwards, and Fran looked up, "Master?"

"Kufufu…Wait here. I'll get him for you."

…..

Tsuna wondered if it was possible to see Byakuran again even though he knew he wasn't allowed to. He had been looking up and around, and even asked a few prisoners, but they were kind enough to shake their heads and tell him to get lost. He frowned. _What'll it take to get some help around here? _He thought bitterly to himself, before realising the fact that in prison, every man did everything for himself.

Suddenly, Tsuna was approached by three prisoners, who effectively blocked his way by standing directly in front of him, and his left and right. "Heard you been looking for Byakuran-sama, hack." The one at the very front spat at him.

Tsuna stepped back slightly and the big man in front of him stepped forward. His voice began to shake. "I need to talk to him."

"Then talk to us. We'll deliver yer message for ya." said the one on Tsuna's left, who was now leering at him from head to toe. He didn't like the look he was being subdued to at all.

"No thanks." Tsuna mumbled as he spun around to leave, but they quickly stopped him.

"Where do you think you're going? We're not done with you yet – "

Tsuna began to feel slightly nervous. But he tried not to let it show. "Hey, leave me - " But then he felt someone's arm encircling his waist and he tensed all over, especially when he could gradually feel his back being pulled into someone's embrace. He turned round, tried to pry off the arm around his waist. "Wha-?"

"I've been looking all over for you, Tsunayoshi."

At that point, Tsuna deadpanned at the familiar voice, then frowned and struggled madly under the iron grip. "Agh!" He shrieked and spluttered at Mukuro, "W-What are you - ? I thought you were in The Hole?"

"It has already been two weeks."

"…It has?" Tsuna paled slightly. Time went by fast here.

"As I said before, Tsunayoshi-kun, we will not be interrupted the next time we meet."

Tsuna squeaked out. "E-Eh…?" He felt as though he was about to go into a fit of cardiac arrest soon. He ineffectively batted away Mukuro's groping arms from his body while the three Brothers watched on in slight amusement.

"So aggressive, Tsunayoshi-kun…" Mukuro smirked and tightened his grip around him. Tsuna eventually worn himself down and he slumped, exhausted. He let Mukuro stroked his hair softly, but shrank away when the man leaned into him and took a deep whiff of his scent.

Tsuna then let out a feeble groan when he felt Mukuro's hand slide under his shirt teasingly. "Stop touching me– "

"But I know you like that..." He crooned in his ear, and Tsuna's eye twitched a little. He chuckled lightly and turned his attention to the three men, "Now, now, gentlemen, you best leave Tsunayoshi alone."

They snickered at him. "Hey, Rokudo. We were here first, so you ain't got any dibs on Little Goldilocks here."

"Tsunayoshi is _**mine**_."

There was a slight silence; Tsuna was rather surprised to see that the Brothers had shrivelled up a little on their spots under the stony glare Mukuro was firing towards their direction.

"No – " He froze again when Mukuro snaked his other hand around Tsuna's neck and pressed the his head towards him; he leaned forwards before Mukuro slipped his tongue into his ear. Tsuna shuddered fiercely and then proceeded to pry the man off him. "Hey...Sto-Stop that...or else...or else – "

"Or else what?"

"Or else I'll...err…" _Scream?_

Mukuro chuckled again and continued in his endeavours. "…You're going to have to do something much more than scream to throw me off."

Tsuna began to sweat. Was Mukuro a mind-reader?

But he knew Mukuro was right, and he knew Mukuro was serious; he was going to go the whole way unless Tsuna did something (other than scream), so he squeezed his eyes shut and - "**I said 'STOP IT'!**" And then he turned round and rammed his clenched fist into Mukuro's cheek in a matter of blind fury.

Again, it was like a flimsy punch, much like last time when he got molested – but this time, Mukuro went flying to the ground.

Tsuna gawped, hard, his eyes wide with horror – he looked at his bundled fist and then – "Oh my god, I – I…." He squeaked out, unable to finish his sentence. He didn't mean to hurt Mukuro like that. He didn't mean to punch him so...so hard! Could it be? Was he that STRONG? Tsuna looked at his arm and groped at his puny muscles under his sleeve. Was Reborn right? Was this place imperceptibly toughening him up over time without him even realising?

The Cell Block fell silent. Everyone was still watching the group, and Tsuna cringed, slowly lowered his fist down. But the damage was done. Everyone heard Tsuna scream at the top of his lungs. And everyone saw him punch Mukuro. And everyone then saw Mukuro crash to the ground. Tsuna stood in the spotlight guiltily; subjecting himself to stares and whispers even though it wasn't even his fault.

_Mukuro made me do it! If-If he hadn't..._ _Urgh, who am I kidding?_ He'd hurt a prisoner for almost no reason...Would he get in trouble for hurting a prisoner? Tsuna cringed further, and the three prisoners who had been previously harassing him suddenly began to roar with raucous laughter, pointing at him and Mukuro.

"Hahaha, you got owned, Rokudo. _Again_." The three Brothers doubled over with laughter, slapping their backs and knees, "Well, that killed some time. Yeah, be seeing ya, Goldilocks."

The Officer fell out of his position slightly and watched them with his mouth hanging open. They waved at him and began to take their leave. "EH? WHAT? Uh..." He watched the Brothers who had now waddled to the TV section and plopped themselves down before slotting in the headphones.

It was then he realised that the three Brothers hadn't exactly been looking for trouble at all. He squinted his eye and cocked his head to the side. "Huh? What's going on?" Tsuna then turned to Mukuro, who was now slowly gathering himself up off the floor. He watched him warily when the man stood back up straight, brushed himself down and was now smiling at him rather triumphantly. And when Mukuro took a step forward, he leapt back one step. Mukuro noticed and couldn't help but grin. Tsuna held his arms up defensively over his chest as Mukuro wiped at his cheek. It didn't hurt. There was not even a mark.

"…Why did you do that? You made yourself look like an idiot just so those guys would leave me alone."

"Do you honestly believe that?" Mukuro's eye mischievously lit up.

His words made Tsuna re-think his statement.

"Are you worried? About me?"

"What? _No_." The Officer grunted, pulling down at his shirt and sleeves and making an effort to look more kempt than usual. "I'm sure you can watch your own back."

He nodded, shrugging lightly. "You should take your own advice, Officer."

"Well, yes, but back there, I could handle it perfectly, before you came. Am I going to have to hit you just to get you off me every time I see you?"

"Kufufu….I suppose, _**yes**_." Mukuro replied back mischievously.

Tsuna's heart thumped hard. He swallowed down, hard. "…I-I don't need someone to help me, or save me. Especially not a _prisoner_. Nagi was right. I have no reason to be afraid of you. You're just lonely and want someone to play with. Look, I don't have time to play with you. What do you want?"

Mukuro blinked at him, then he smirked again and crossed an arms, placing a hand under his chin, "…You."

With that, Tsuna went red in response and stepped back. He did not understand why Mukuro seemed so interested in him. It took him a while to recollect his senses. _No! No! He's just teasing you!_ _Get a hold on yourself! _"Err…I… Oh, that's right, that day, when you broke out of the Lab – I've been meaning to ask you about what I saw…the hospital and those people…" He berated himself mentally. Why was he asking Mukuro? Would this man be truthful with him? However… perhaps a few innocent questions would not hurt…

To his surprise, Mukuro was contemplating about his answer. He merely questioned back, "Why are you interested?"

If Tsuna remembered correctly, Dino told him on his first day that the prisoners were not malevolent and didn't mind companionship from any source. "I… I don't know a lot of things about this place, and – " Tsuna paused, and rubbed at the back of his elbow. Again, out of all the people he could ask, he was asking Mukuro. But it didn't seem Ryohei knew much, or Yamamoto. He also didn't feel like asking Giotto either, especially since he was warned. But… Asking Mukuro_ was_ wrong; he was sly and cunning, and he knew he'd do anything to manipulate people into doing what he wanted, right?

However, Mukuro spoke back in a matter-of-factly, smirking the entire time, "It was an illusion."

Tsuna pondered. "But how do you produce illusions?" And when the prisoner's expression suddenly darkened into one of distrust, he sensed Mukuro's abrupt suspicion. Tsuna waved his hands to shake off any misunderstanding that might have accrued. "I-I'm just…curious." He stuttered out, "…There's no harm in wanting to know…"

Mukuro withdrew his hostility and smirked again, "…Forgive me, Tsunayoshi-kun. You can't expect me to disclose that kind of information to you." He gazed to the side, then back to the disappointed Officer. "…However…. If you are desperate to ascertain, we can make a **deal**."

Tsuna's fists unclenched. "… A _deal_?"

"Kufufu….Prisoners and Officers often form deals. Or _pacts_. Either way, it is a better approach compared to _interrogation_."

_Pacts?_ Tsuna inwardly wished that Mukuro wouldn't laugh so sinisterly. Then again, there was a reason why he _**was**_ a prisoner. This man was eccentric to no end and didn't seem to know his boundaries, "But… why?"

"For information."

Tsuna raised the eyebrow. Information? _He means the dirt. The dirt on the Melone Reformatory; everything you want to know. The secrets. The dirty secrets. _He brushed away the snide voice from the back of his mind. "That's kind of sneaky."

"Maybe." Mukuro retorted impishly, "It's only sneaky when the information the prisoner tells the Officer has repercussions on another. Aside from that, it can just be a transaction of information, whether it's from a change to the menu or an increased rate of payphone credit terms. It's merely a matter of enlightened self interest." However, a malicious grin soon spread across Mukuro's face, and everything he had just that was seemingly innocent about payphones and menus now occurred to Tsuna that it could end up double-edged one way or another. How it could, he was not so sure. He was only certain that Mukuro was a manipulator regardless.

And with that deduced in his delicate logic, Tsuna paled slightly. _I don't think this is a good idea. Turn back, quick!_

Mukuro added, "Of course… If you want information from me, I want something from you in return." When he scrutinised the Officer thoroughly from head to toe, his eyes deviously twinkling, Tsuna felt another shiver run down his spine.

"Like what?" He foolishly asked out. And somehow, he envisioned horns and a pointy tail sprouting out of Mukuro. "I-If you're thinking of breaking out of here again – I-I won't let you - !"

There was a brief silence, then Mukuro's smirk widened openly, and Tsuna gulped. "You misunderstand me, Tsunayoshi-kun. With your arrival, certain things in this Reformatory have suddenly become much more…_ intriguing_."

Tsuna paled. _I-It has?_

"I think I will stay for the time being… Besides, you know what I want from you…" Mukuro crooned at him devilishly, and Tsuna's fist balled up tightly. He squeaked when he was suddenly seized by Mukuro and slammed against the wall, going face to face with Mukuro. He flailed around. A prisoner touching him made him tremble slightly and he tried to fight him off. Mukuro ignored his protests, then proceeded to slide his hand down.

"Look, I-I…" Tsuna stumbled out weakly. He hated to admit it - _Mukuro may be the only one I can ask for help._ "Fine, I'll form a 'pact' with you." _Do I need to sign anything? A contract?_ He thought bitterly. "But don't tell anyone, alright?"

"My lips are sealed."

_I don't believe him one bit! But… But what can I do?_ "W-Well, okay, since we've…erm…_pacted_, I can ask you about anything?"

"Anything you want to know."

Tsuna thought. _That's right. He's been here in this Prison for 10 years. He must know something._

"Well, I just want to learn more about the people in this place. Takeshi-kun and Ryohei-kun are too busy to help me, and I don't want to keep asking."

"Kufufu…You want to know more about Giotto, am I correct?" Mukuro said, and Tsuna winced again at his sinister laughter, then nodded meekly. Mukuro continued, "Unfortunately, I cannot help you there. I was never in D-Block to begin with."

"Oh. That's right. You're from L Block. But… you know Giotto."

"Yes. We've come across one another on several occasions." Mukuro said, "But the Commanding Officer of L Block is Genkishi, so…"

"Genkishi?" Tsuna croaked out. _Why am I always hearing about this man named Genkishi now? I've never even spoken to him before._ He decided to ask regardless; if one potential mystery was solved, then that would be at least one step forward into understanding what the heck this Reformatory was all about. "About Genkishi… He's the guy who was meant to be in the wheelchair, right? But… why? I mean… if he was terminally ill, how can he still be an officer? Um… N-No offence…"

At that point, Mukuro smirked, having successfully piqued Tsuna's interest once again. "Genkishi fell ill during the Plague. He was originally the Commanding Officer of W Block."

"But you said you were from L-Block."

"We moved."

"…?" Tsuna looked dumbstruck. "You mean, the prisoners from L Block, were meant to be from W Block initially?"

"And what do you know about W Block?"

"N-Nothing much." He stammered out, "…There was just this Plague and nothing could work anymore, and it's haunted or something like that. I didn't know people became ill, too. What about Scarlet?"

"What about Scarlet?"

"U-Uh…" Tsuna began to sweat, realising what he had just done. It was too late to take it back now. "I… don't think he killed himself."

"And what gave you that idea?"

"Well… if he was investigating Byakuran, then why… would he kill himself?" Tsuna questioned, "Unless… he found something really devastating and couldn't handle it, but…that still doesn't really make any sense."

"Kufufu…Then he was killed."

"Shhh!" Tsuna squeaked out, flailing his arms up and down furiously, "Not so loud! Everyone will hear!" He managed to simmer down when he realised that he was, in fact, the one drawing attention themselves as Mukuro remained quiet, smirking indefinitely at the Officer. "…He _**was **_killed? But…why?"

"It is what happens when one sticks their nose too deep into another person's business."

Tsuna irked. "Well, no, not really. This is just far too extreme…" He mused to himself promptly, _So Scarlet WAS killed for investigating into Byakuran too much. But… by who? Definitely not Byakuran. He has an airtight alibi. He was in his Cell Block the entire time._

"Don't you want to find out?"

Tsuna looked up at Mukuro. "Find out what?"

"Who killed Scarlet. This Reformatory has many mysteries to be solved, and many dirty secrets that don't want to be found out. Scarlet's death is just one of them." He replied, "…Aren't you the least bit curious, Sawada Tsunayoshi? And what about Giotto?"

Tsuna swallowed down and nervously bit down on his lip. "…Giotto?"

"You'll be surprised." Mukuro said, smirking as soon as Tsuna had become as white as a sheet. "…Kufufu…That man isn't as truthful and divine as you think he is."

"What do you mean by that?" Tsuna snapped, beginning to get agitated.

"This is a prison, Tsunayoshi-kun. Who else comes here besides men who are corrupted or have committed sin? And what about those who come here to watch these men? Of course, some of them, are burdened by the sins they have committed too, and are in many ways, repenting." Mukuro smirked at him. "…Everyone's got their own dirty secret. It's up to you to pry it out of them."

…

Meanwhile, Fran was standing in the sidelines watching Mukuro with Tsuna, still bleeding and inevitably forgotten.

"…Master?"


	14. The Messiah Complex

There is OOC-ness in this chapter because Hibari is NICE!

**Chapter 14**

_The Messiah Complex_

"What's the point of this pact if you won't tell me _**anything**_?" Tsuna demanded, he couldn't help but grow slightly agitated. Had it all been in vain?

"At the moment, what is more of concern is Scarlet, not Giotto."

"Oh, really? And why's that?"

"We just established that he didn't kill himself."

"Look, it was theoretical." Then he grunted out, "Why are you so curious about this anyway?"

"Aren't you?" Mukuro retorted, "What if the one who murdered Scarlet was an _Officer_? How would you react to that, knowing that _**anyone **_is in potential danger at the moment. Even Giotto. Even you."

"You're just worried about yourself."

But Mukuro was right, in a sense which Tsuna could not bring himself to completely understand in its entirety. Yet, Tsuna shook his head vigorously. "I was told not to investigate anyway – " He paused before he could say more. It sounded lame - He was 'told not to'. Giotto had instructed him not to concern himself in matters that did not concern him. But… how could he let this subject slip? What if it really was something so terrible, so diabolical, that if he refused to investigate this matter, everyone else could be endangered? He realised Mukuro was now giving him a look; the smirk never vanishing from his handsome features. He blushed slightly and looked down. "….N-No, I'm not saying I don't want to investigate… I'm pretty sure someone else is investigating this matter."

"No-one is. They're assuming it was a suicide."

"Well… What can I do about it? I'm just a lowly Officer."

Mukuro shrugged his lean shoulders apathetically. And Tsuna felt ridiculous for being persuaded into playing Detective for the past few minutes. "…Kufufu, I almost forgot. You have to escort that man to the Infirmary." Mukuro said, finally gesturing to Fran, who was still watching them dolefully, bleeding.

Tsuna leapt. "Ack! W-What on earth happened to him?" He was about to rush over to help but Mukuro grabbed his wrist, and he turned round, "What is it?"

"Now that I have answered some of your questions at your request, I believe it time for me to take what I want from you, Tsunayoshi-kun…" He smirked slyly at him.

_Uh-oh. _Tsuna squeaked and stepped back, but Mukuro stepped forward, inching him towards the wall. His back made contact with cold brick, and Mukuro placed his hands near Tsuna's head, effectively blocking his potential exits. He trembled and squeezed his eyes shut. "I'll-I'll get you anything you want. Some more food, extra showering time, time off work. More payphone credit, anything."

Mukuro reconsidered the following options, but shook his head. "…Tempting, but I have another idea." He said, "Come closer."

"E-Eh…?" Tsuna swallowed down again, then took one step forwards.

"_Closer_." Mukuro leaned in forwards to the officer regardless, and smirked - then licked enticingly at his ear. Tsuna shrieked out as his face dissolved into ten different shades of red as soon as Mukuro let go of him. He clutched at his ear in distraught. And Mukuro leant off Tsuna, who had squeezed his eyes shut. "Kufufu…. And I will tell you the truth about Giotto, Tsunayoshi-kun, since I like you so much," He began, "That man is a murderer. Why else do you think there is a ringbox policy?"

There was a long silence, then –

"What? I don't…I don't believe you!" came Tsuna's angry, yet doubtful response. "I…I don't believe you at all!"

But Mukuro was already walking away, laughing. The damage was already done.

**Meanwhile...**

It was far too early in the morning for this.

Dr Shamal of the Infirmary briefly attended to a man lying on a bed in one of the isolated Wards. Beside him, Hibari was waiting patiently, while Kusakabe tried to stay awake but his drooping eyelids gave away his tiredness. They watched the man on the bed; his eyes were closed, as he breathed unsteadily with the mask strapped over his nose and mask, vapour forming on the clear plastic with each heavy breath he took. Hibari checked the chart he was presented with by a Nurse. Prisoner 24890N, sentenced to twenty years, released just in one.

"He was found in his Cell. Wrists were slit. His fingers were also cut off, just like Scarlet. We've salvaged his fingers… and the attempted murder weapon – it was a blunt razor. His cellmate was covered in blood – apparently, he was trying to stop him from killing himself." Dr Shamal said, "It's strange, because Cell Block N is one of those cells that are for those prisoners classified as relatively harmless, so violence like this is unaccounted for. Something sounds out of place in that testimony, right?"

Hibari checked the status report. The situation was this:

In the morning, when the Officers arrived, the prisoners were left out as usual for a few minutes before showering time. Usually, they will stay in bed. Prisoner 24890N left his cell for half an hour. CCCTV cameras show that he had met up with Byakuran of the Millefiore. It seemed they had a slight disagreement. Prisoner 24890N left quickly and returned back. Unfortunately, there is a lack of cameras in actual cells so what happened next is unclear. But he had already arranged for interrogations – but the Correctional Officers and Commanding Officer appear innocent as they were all gathered at the Podium during the accident.

"I will need to talk to him alone." Hibari said.

Dr Shamal yawned loudly. "Sure, sure. Just wait till he wakes up – oh, and don't touch anything, alright? I'm heading back to get some sleep..." And Dr Shamal leisurely said after he left the prisoner and walked back to his office, whistling. In progress, he rubbed at his nose and sniffled as he ogled at an oblivious Nurse passing by. He then unclasped his hip flask that was swinging around from his belt and gulped down greedily.

But then –

"Doctorrrr!"

Dr Shamal leapt and glared at the two men who had appeared at the doorway. "Argh! What? What is it? What?"

"The Nurse said we'd find you here – "

Hibari watched. It was the herbivore named Sawada, with one of his prisoners, who had a slight cut in his forehead and was now swaying around dazedly on the spot. He was exceptionally pale, and Hibari recognised him as Fran, a member of the Varia. Sawada Tsuna said, "He had an accident."

"There are plasters over there - Go get them yourself…" Doctor Shamal waved them off lazily.

"Thank you, Doctor!" And the herbivore rushed with his prisoner to the plaster canister before realising that Hibari and his Deputy were present. He stopped promptly, as Fran began to tend to himself. "O-Oh, good morning, sir!" Herbivore yelled out respectfully, and then bowed to him, and Kusakabe subsequently. He looked at the semi-conscious man on the bed they were surrounding, but decided not to raise a comment.

"Good morning." Kusakabe replied back politely, whereas Hibari remained steely silent, but gave a slight nod of his head in acknowledgement. Kusakabe felt more enthusiastic already as soon as he returned his attention back to the prisoner. "Now that we have managed to save someone, I think we might have found a piece to the puzzle, Kyou-san."

Hibari averted his attention away from Kusakabe, to the herbivore who was now about to escort Fran, who now had a plaster fixed over his forehead which was now covered up by his hat, back to D Block. "Herbivore." He called out, "Come here."

The Officer froze up all over and turned round. "Y-Yes, sir?"

"The prisoner can return to his own Cell Block. You are to stay." Hibari instructed fluidly.

The Officer turned to his prisoner expectantly. "I'll be fine." Fran said, and he thanked him, before waddling back downstairs. Herbivore turned back squatly to the two men around the bed and nodded, then approached them cautiously.

"Kyou-san, should we really…?"

"It doesn't matter anymore," Hibari said, "This matter concerns all members of the Reformatory now."

"….Anou….What's going on, sir?" The herbivore asked meekly.

"This man was found dying in his cell." Hibari said, as he to the unconscious prisoner. "We may have found the culprit behind all this mischief."

…

Previously, Tsuna had been thinking about Giotto, stuck in passionate daydreams, wondering whether the Commanding Officer was thinking the same. But now it was all gone. He had chosen not to believe Mukuro, but the uncertainty lingered. Why was there a ringbox policy? Certainly it was more efficient when dealing with prisoners, correct? So how did the ringbox policy link to Giotto?

_It's just a joke_, Tsuna thought. _Mukuro just likes to wind me up. Yeah, that's it._

At the moment though, he was stuck with the Warden and his Deputy, and they had just left the Infirmary, since it would take some time for the prisoner to recover. Hibari dismissed Kusakabe for the time being, and then turned to Tsuna, who swallowed down and threw his gaze numbly at the floor.

_S-Should I leave too?_

The Warden scrutinised him for a few moments, but then turned away, stalking towards the direction of the staff elevator. Tsuna was left by his lonesome in the corridor. _Where is he going? Should I go with him?_ Tsuna picked up pace and began to trail after him without a second thought. The Warden did not turn round, but he said out loud, "What do you want, herbivore?"

For some reason, Tsuna believed he could sense the Warden's frustration at the current situation. A prisoner was found dying and the looming threat was becoming more and more serious. With the Governor missing, the Chaplain having to put up with the onslaught of the media and other affiliates, and the Deputy Governor on a search for the missing Governor, that meant the daily operations of the Reformatory resided on Hibari's hands.

However, once he remembered the last time he'd spoken to the Warden alone, Tsuna's courage to face the man seemed to have diminished immediately and he couldn't help but feel scared. "Uh…I-I have a few questions I'd like to ask you, sir…" He couldn't help but let his voice tremble. Why was he doing this? Not so long ago, this very man harassed him in the most unimaginable way possible.

The Warden stopped, just as Tsuna arrived at his side, and he looked down at him from the corner of his eyes. The Officer was shorter than him to an extent and was now wavering slightly on the spot. His fear was obvious, and Hibari sighed. "…Very well. Follow me." He replied, albeit a little tiredly, and he began to walk again.

Tsuna was stunned at that rather weary response. "Y-Yes, sir." He bumbled beside him as instructed. And stopped shortly in front of the elevator beside him. There was a brief silence before the lift came, and they swiftly entered_. _He began to sweat, realising he was now utterly and absurdly alone with the Warden. He began to sweat buckets. "Um…I have a question about Scarlet – "

The Warden turned away, seemingly uninterested. "A question…" He began, and now he was smirking at Tsuna as he turned round – and promptly began to corner the Officer in the elevator. He stopped directly in front of him, and Tsuna clamped down his eyes and turned his head away, as Hibari bent down, his lips near his ear, "_Aren't you testing your authority_?"

"H-He didn't kill himself. It wasn't a suicide." Tsuna blurted out, again, without thinking twice.

There was a silence. "Do you have any evidence?"

"Well, no, but…"

"Then your words are futile."

Tsuna opened one eye nervously as the silence prolonged, just to see the Warden's frowning face inches from his. He stared back into his eyes, noticing the Warden's cool, silken demeanour. Something about the man seemed to radiate a sense of complexity yet a distinct, detached indifference. Tsuna swallowed down and quickly looked away again as he felt his cheeks heating up, but now the Warden had placed both his hands on the walls of the elevator just beside Tsuna's head, effectively blocking any potential exits. Oh no, he thought. This was just like last time! But…. Why was there something… gentle about this encounter…? Yet, he squeezed his eyes shut, his heart thumping rapidly against his ribs.

"….However," Hibari murmured under his breath, his face was so close to Tsuna's that his lips almost touched the rim of his ear, "Looks like you aren't as useless as you appear, herbivore."

Tsuna was stunned by what the Warden had just said. Did he hear right?

"Why are you so concerned about Scarlet's death? It has nothing to do with you." Hibari added, and he leant away from him slightly.

He peeled himself off the elevator walls as Hibari returned to the middle of the elevator. Tsuna breathed an inward breath of relief and tried to calm his beating heart. "I…If there's someone who's doing bad stuff here, I want to make sure we catch him. Before he hurts anyone else, so…" He left his sentence trail off meekly.

"….I see." The Warden eventually replied, concentrating on his blurred reflection of the closed elevator doors, "The prisoners were killed because they had opposed Byakuran. That is what I have deduced so far. When the prisoner wakes up, I need him to confirm my suspicions."

All Tsuna could say, was "Oh."

Hibari then glanced off to the side, frowning. "…I won't rest… until the culprit is caught, and the discipline in this Reformatory is reinstated."

Tsuna stepped back, slightly startled. He remembered what he had witnessed back down in the basement. _So that's what he was doing. It makes sense._ But… Something felt out of place. Why was a man of such authority telling him, an ordinary Correctional officer in the lowest rank of the hierarchy pyramid, this information? Even though Tsuna had brought up the topic, it still felt confidential and obscure, far above his current position to be clearly comprehended.

Hibari contemplated harder. "…What do you know about the Reformatory, herbivore?" He asked, without looking at Tsuna.

In response, Tsuna snapped out of his musings, looked back up, and blinked blankly. He then remembered that time when Yamamoto showed him the picture of the previous Guardians and Giotto's father. When the Warden gazed back at him from the corner of his eyes, Tsuna swallowed down and looked back at the ground again, his heart began to beat just a little faster than normal. "N-Not much really…"

The Warden let a smirk tug at his lips. "I thought so." He added, and once the elevator arrived, he stepped out. It was then Tsuna noticed they had arrived at the rundown cell blocks which Ryohei brought him several days ago. The bolted doors to Cell Block W were at the very end of the hall. Why were they here? Hibari was walking further down the dead-end corridor; he had turned back to Tsuna. "Don't just stand there, herbivore."

Tsuna felt his stomach tighten. The Warden wanted him to follow. He felt surprised at their current interaction. Perhaps he had been wrong about the Warden. He took a step forward firmly, albeit nervously.

"As a member of the Reformatory, you have a right and obligation to gain as much knowledge possible about this place, and if you aware, there are twenty three cell blocks. Several of them are deemed uninhabitable for dubious reasons."

_He must mean the plague_, Tsuna thought, as they both began to make their way to the locked Cell Block doors at the end of the corridor, then - _Why is he so proud to be working here anyway? This place is a dump!_

And Hibari continued as Tsuna picked up pace. "This Reformatory was constructed six decades ago. Its design is adapted from the blueprints of a manufacturing factory, which explains its peculiar layout. They closed it down when accidents that occurred caused them more costs than profit." He said, stopping at the bolted Cell Block entrance, "Before they handed the deed to the first Governor, they warned him about this place."

"About what?"

"…There is a particular type of energy that thrives here."

_Energy? _Tsuna scratched at his chin.

"It is a different kind, one which does not seem to collaborate alongside with the earth's magnetic field. Electricity, phone lines and compasses do not work here compared to other places in Japan, which is why we had to establish a separate system for them to function," Hibari explained, "They had all sorts of specialists to analyse the habitable condition of the Reformatory. However, they could not get their measuring instruments to work and only estimated that the prison lies at an average of 135 degrees at 74'E on the Prime Meridian of the earth. Their equipment also informed them that at least 300 earthquakes are recorded annually which occur underneath the foundations of this Reformatory, with magnitudes of 2 to 6 on the Richter scale. Aside from that, this place technically does not exist on the world map."

Tsuna perked up, intrigued.

"The Melone Reformatory does not have a bearing, an address… its existence is only made aware to only a certain amount of people… which is why this is the perfect place to build a prison for dangerous criminals. Although it does have a public profile, this place is surprisingly inaccessible. In a way, one could say even we do not even exist."

Tsuna felt a trickle of cold sweat drip down his temple. "Why is that?" He questioned, "Is anyone conducting research?"

"Verde. Go talk to him if you're interested." Hibari said, "Herbivore, what exactly are you investigating?"

"H-Huh? No no no no, I'm not investigating, just curious, that's all. I still need to learn a lot about this place…" He looked up at the locked doors. "Anou…Wasn't Genkishi the Commanding Officer of this Cell Block?"

"That's right." Hibari replied stoically, "Genkishi has worked here longer than I have."

"I heard there was a plague, and his condition was fatal. They said it was _**terminal**_. And now he's…Commanding Officer of L-Block?" Tsuna was confused, "…Was a vaccine developed just in time?"

"For what?"

"Victims of the plague."

"…No. They didn't bother," Hibari replied shortly, with a small, portentous smile, "…The scientists didn't find any virus in the cell Block."

Tsuna didn't understand how anyone could smile at this sensitive topic. "What do you mean?"

"All they could do was contain the outbreak."

Tsuna put a hand to his chin, then proceeded to chew at his thumbnail in thought, "…The virus is still in there? Why haven't they called any Health Officials?"

"Didn't you hear what I just said? No-one's found any virus. The Cell Block was given the all-clear but they still kept it closed so nothing like that happened ever again. There _**was**_ no virus, strictly speaking. It was just a selective massacre of prisoners all from an unexplained phenomenon."

"Selective?"

"Not everyone contracted the deadly disease." Hibari replied, "Some were quarantined at the hospital, and afterwards, taken to the Laboratory for research. The scientists were unsuccessful and relocated some prisoners to a safer Block."

"L-Block."

"That's right."

"And… about the Guardians – "

Immediately, Hibari intervened, "What about the Guardians?"

"U-Um, I heard they left and the rings they had were put away somewhere safe…Did the plague have anything to do with it?"

But Hibari wasn't listening anymore. _The Guardian rings. _He swerved his eyes down to the Vongola Cloud ring around his finger. His eyebrows furrowed in response. He closed his eyes and turned away, "That does not concern you. You have entertained me enough, herbivore. Go back to your Cell Block now. Otherwise… I'll personally bite you to death."

He stiffened up immediately, but then nodded and hastily dismissed himself, then returned back to the elevator. But he turned back to face the Warden, who was still standing in front of the Cell Block doors, gazing intently at the locked shutters.

Tsuna couldn't help but feel as though he understood the Warden a little better now.

…

It had been two weeks and Byakuran and Xanxus were finally honouring each other with their presences. Somehow, being summoned to see Byakuran (although he heard he had been requested by Byakuran first) felt almost identical to what one has to go through for a simple deal with a business magnate. Had he been put on a waiting list? If so, that was absurd, and Xanxus was furious for having to play entrepreneur. Byakuran was a Nobody in his eyes despite the rumours. He didn't care about Byakuran's power or background, and the man certainly didn't seem to live up to them as he stood leisurely opposite him, and behind him, the rest of his men were crowding him in a semi-circle. Xanxus did not even attempt to learn their names. He recognised one in particular, a nerdy-looking, quiet and reserved individual who was named Shouichi Irie.

"What a shady place to call a meeting, Xanxus-san." Byakuran said, inspecting his surroundings.

"What do you want?" Xanxus grunted out, as Squalo, who was standing behind him, was immersed in his own personal staring match – he constantly sent lethal daggers to a particular henchman of Byakuran. "You were the one who called it."

"Don't worry. I won't take too much of your precious time…" Byakuran's eye flickered mischievously under the dim light of the equipment warehouse. "I want to form a truce, an alliance."

"An alliance." Xanxus did not sound surprised at all. On his other side, Fran was busy staring into space, and Belphegor was fiddling with the string that activated the lightbulb that was attached from the ceiling. It seemed Xanxus was the only one concentrating on this particular moment.

"Yep." Byakuran replied nonchalantly, his narrowed eye curling upwards cheerfully. "I even brought a few gifts as an act of good practise. On you go, Shou-chan." He then proceeded to turn to the one named Irie Shouichi, and as instructed, the red-head nervously walked up to Xanxus and held his hand out. Inside his palm, was a ring and a ringbox. There was stunned silence; even Squalo looked shocked. Fran's eyes were momentarily widened, and Bel finally stopped playing around with the light string and let it dangle limply.

Xanxus looked back up impassively after uncrossing his arms. "We don't do gifts."

Irie shot Byakuran a quick glance, who smiled jovially at Xanxus again. "That's quite alright. You can keep those. From me to you."

Bel stepped towards the ring that was emptied into Xanxus' hand, but Squalo stopped him, and shook his head. Irie Shouichi returned to his spot behind Byakuran. Xanxus watched him warily and he began to sweat slightly, and then avoided eye contact by engrossing himself with a rubber-inflated basketball that was lying near his feet.

"Why do you look so scared? They work perfectly fine."

Xanxus averted his dark eyes from the ring, to Byakuran. "Where the fuck did you get this from?"

"I have my sources." Byakuran smirked delightfully, "Besides, does it really matter where I get the ring from, other than the fact that I can get more, if we allied?"

"You can get more?" Squalo enquired suspiciously, and Xanxus turned round and kicked him in the knee. He winced in pain, hopping on his undamaged foot while the other was cradled in his hands. "Shit! Why did you – "

"Shut up, trash. I'm doing the talking here, not you."

Squalo bitterly glared at Xanxus, and Byakuran let out an amused laugh, but stopped shortly as Xanxus then glared at him fiercely. "If you don't believe me, you can try that one out right now. Any mist users here?"

Xanxus raised an eyebrow. "Frog," He then barked out automatically, "Get over here."

"Yes, boss…." Fran mumbled and reluctantly waddled over, and Xanxus thrust the ring towards his direction. Fran picked the ring and the box up as instructed to, then – "Do I have to – "

"Get to it."

"Yes, boss." Fran sighed, as he stood in his spot, and Xanxus and the rest stepped back slightly. Fran tiredly raised his arms up in the correct order, starting with left first…then the right… while Byakuran and the rest of his cronies watched in amusement and Xanxus just scowled, mumbling about 'wasting time' and 'practical jokes'. Then Fran held both arms out horizontally, then jammed the box into his ring. Immediately, a flame ignited. Fran stared, wide-eyed in shock. He hadn't seen a flame for a long time now and his mouth opened to a certain extent. The whole room fell silent.

"That's enough." Xanxus then said after a few moments; he averted his eyes away from the ring and back to Byakuran, who was now smiling widely at him. "Put it out."

But Fran did not move, until Bel hit him over the head with his clenched fist. He broke out of his stupor, hesitated, then nodded and pulled the box out unwillingly. He returned the ring and the box to Xanxus and strode back to his spot beside Bel, who was now flashing him a toothy grin. Fran wanted to wipe the dirty smirk off his face and smack him back as retribution, but remained quiet and threw his gaze to the floor again. Squalo's eyes were also glued onto the ring. Xanxus contemplated thoroughly the current scenario. Where had the ring come from? There was no way it was Irie Shouichi who was smuggling rings. Byakuran must have a mole somewhere in this reformatory. He had to find out.

Byakuran smiled confidently. "So… What do you say? I figured we could…help each other, since we share the same interests."

"And what's that?"

"Freedom."

Immediately, everyone in the room except from Xanxus looked up following Byakuran's statement. Xanxus did not look impressed. "Bullshit. You wanted to get caught." He sneered at him.

"Do you really believe that?"

"Fuck you." Xanxus spat out, "But I know what you want, and you aren't getting help from us. We're going." The Varia leader then proceeded to turn back towards the exit; Squalo, Bel and Fran did not move from their spots, however.

"But, Boss…"

"_I said we're __**leaving**__, you damn shits_."

"Don't take your anger out on them. It's not their fault they don't operate on a hive mind." Byakuran remarked bluntly in a matter of seconds, and Xanxus whipped back round, his eyes seething with venom. But before Xanxus could reply to that, Byakuran added cheerfully, "Oh, wait. Sorry, I got it wrong. I got _your_intentions wrong. Youjust want to see your father suffer."

"That's none of your goddamn business."

"I want you to think about it this way –this institution was passed on from generation to generation as it is rooted firmly in the long line of Vongola heritage. Therefore, this place is your father's sweat and blood. And if what I heard was right about you… You didn't get what you want from your father's will." Byakuran lithely replied, his voice slow and taunting, much to Xanxus' irritation. "But I can do something about that."

"Do you want to die, Byakuran?" Xanxus snarled at him, his fist clinching so hard his knuckles went white and deep, stocky veins were visibly bulging out of his flesh.

"No, I have no intention of dying." He replied innocently, "And it was not my intention that our goals seem to coincide. Think about it, there is nothing to lose if we work together."

"Uishishi….This man is so sneaky." Bel snickered under his breath from the sidelines.

Xanxus threw a sideways glance to Bel, and then slid his gaze back down to the ring in his hand. It was real. Something about Byakuran made him trust his words. He didn't really know why. Squalo stepped forwards. "Boss, wait – "

He held up his hand.

Squalo fell silent.

Xanxus walked towards Byakuran, his rough, calloused features still submerged in that impeccable scowl.

Byakuran looked at him expectantly, "Do we have a deal, Xanxus-san?"

"…Yes."

…

Hibari glanced at Kusakabe Tetsuya from the corner of his eyes. "Are you sure this is the one?"

"Yes, sir. We found his ringbox hidden under a section of the mattress." His associate replied sternly; they stopped in front of the door to the basement and Kusakabe opened it to let Hibari step in. They went downstairs, where a man was screaming raucously, sprawled over the basement floor, surrounded by a crowd of other Committee officials who were jeering and scorning. It seemed they were taking turns in kicking and punching at the man on the floor.

"Move." Hibari commanded smoothly once he arrived, and they shifted over to let their leader into the circle.

The Prisoner was swollen and drenched in blood, as he crawled over to grab at his ankles. He got blood over his polished shoes in progress. "H-Help me – I'm begging you, please… I'm innocent - "

Hibari raised an eyebrow, then promptly kicked him away, and he crumpled to the floor, nursing his aching self. "I will be the one who determines your innocence." He said coldly. Hibari gestured to Kusakabe to hold him down, who did as he was told. The prisoner looked up with widened eyes as Hibari lifted his boot up and stepped on him, crushing down over his ribs. "Now. Tell me, or else you will be breathing through an iron lung once I am through with you."

"L-Let me go, please – "

"I will let you go once you tell me what I want to know."

"I-I don't know what you're talking about – "

"You tried to kill your cellmate."

"N-No!" He gasped out. "He-He was my friend!"

"I don't think so."

"I – Of course I am! Why would… Why would I want to kill him?"

"We found this in your room." Hibari then opened his palm to reveal the mist ring box that had been discovered, and also raised as a matter of concern during the meeting a while back.

"T-That ring!"

"It's a Mist ring. You used this on your cellmate, and somehow tricked him into slicing his wrists." That was when Hibari stepped down on his chest. Hard. There was the loud crunch of a rib snapping under the sheer pressure. "I hate illusions, so I know."

The prisoner screamed out in pain, writhing helplessly on the ground. "ARGH! God… Argh…! Please, have mer – ARGHH!" He cried out, more tears streaming down his eyes. And Hibari smirked. "A-Alright, alright! I'll tell you everything – Just-Just please… get off me – "

"Tell me everything you know."

"O-Okay – I did! But I had orders – "

"Orders?" Hibari's eyes narrowed thoroughly.

"From Byakuran… I…I-I can tell you about Byakuran, just promise me you'll let me go afterwards – "

"Go on."

"…B-Byakuran… He's been looking for something, alright?" The prisoner uttered out desperately, "He said he's…he's… I dunno… He's looking for something in this goddamn prison. That's why he's here! He's going to change everything!"

"You don't know what he is looking for?"

"No… He won't tell anyone. But he's got people…ya know – Prisoners, like me. We're helping him look."

"And what about the prisoners who died?"

"They…They were the ones who were against him."

"They opposed him. Like your cellmate, who you tried to kill."

"Y-Yeah… T-That's what we do to those who oppose him, alright? Some don't like him here, some think he makes them look like little weaklings and stuff, since they knew Byakuran-sama was stronger than them, much stronger. I guess they were just intimidated and threatened by his presence. They said all Byakuran could do was just talk and look pretty and eat sweets." The prisoner whimpered out, "They wanted to show him who's boss, ya know? And then they end up – "

"Dead."

"Yeah. Bumped off. He's got men everywhere in every Block. They're his eyes and ears… He knows what's going on. You can't stop him. L-Look, that's all I know. Oh god, please… please don't kill me. I-I told you everything I know, so let me go now, okay?"

And when Hibari stepped off him and he breathed a sigh of relief. But then - "You have been found guilty of another misdeed." Hibari said, "This ringbox. They are not allowed here. This is a very serious offence."

And the prisoner was screaming again, as the group closed in on him, kicking and punching at his limp, bedraggled and beaten form. In between the flurry of kicks and punches, he croaked something out that was incoherent. Hibari held up his hand and the members ceased their tormenting. "What did you say?"

He pulled his arms away from his mashed-up face slowly. "I said…. _So what_?" He growled out, his voice now finding much more profound vigour, "So what? You'll never stop Byakuran! You can punch and kick me but you won't get anything else from me. So go on! Go on and kill me, but there's hundreds of Officers and prisoners out there, all like me! And there's no way you can find them all and do what you are doing right now! They aren't careless, and they're much, much…oh….they're _**MUCH **_stronger than you, you bastard!"

"Shut up, you scumbag! How dare you talk to the Warden like that!" One of the Committee members delivered a fatal blow to his head, kicking and stomping repeatedly.

"You can glare and glower and scowl all you want, but we ain't afraid of you no more!"

When Hibari's glare soared to an extreme scale, Kusakabe stepped out. "Kyou-san, what do we do now?" He asked, as Hibari began to make his way up the staircase.

Hibari did not even look back. "…..Leave him alive. But barely."

The members of the Committee looked away from the Warden, and turned back to the bleeding mess on the floor, who was still laughing. "You heard our leader."

The prisoner on the ground laughed mirthlessly, feeling his vision blur as the members of the Committee surrounded him. "Ahaha! WE'RE ALL PART OF HIS GAME! ALL HAIL BYAKURAN! THE CHOSEN ONE! THE ONE WHO WILL BRING A NEW ORDER TO THIS WORLD! Ahaha…haha..."

Hibari stopped outside as Kusakabe closed the door behind them, the harrowing screams slowly fading into the quiet stillness of the empty corridor. "Kyou-san. I guess we didn't accomplished much from that, either."

"We know that Byakuran's managed to convert many prisoners to his side here." Hibari replied stonily. "It won't be surprising if he has a few Officers helping him as well. It may take a while to consecrate the discipline in this Reformatory after all, Kusakabe."

"What do you think that Byakuran is looking for anyway, Kyou-san?" Kusakabe asked. There was a silence. Hibari had narrowed his eyes and averted his gaze to the side. "…Kyou-san?"

"Kusakabe. Go back to your Cell Block. I will call when you are needed."

"Huh? Oh, hai, Kyou-san."

He dismissed Kusakabe and made his way to the nearest bathroom. Inside, Hibari opened the taps at one of the white porcelain sinks and began to wash his hands, watching his reflection the entire time. He had come a long way, but it was still not finished yet, and he forced himself not to show any signs of weariness and exhaustion. He closed the tap but then looked at his hands again.

"…Still not clean." He muttered, and he pressed down on the canister for more soap.

**The Chapel.**

He had just heard the latest news and the phone had been ringing off the hook. Simora sighed and wiped the never-ending sweat from his brow. The phone rang and the old Chaplain picked it up hastily. "…Hello?"

"Simora."

He recognised the voice immediately. "….Reborn-san?" The Chaplain croaked out, stunned, and the phone promptly dropped out, clattering over his worktop. He put his pen down, picked the phone back up and looked away from his documents. "I was getting worried. How does it look?"

Reborn's voice continued calmly, there was no hint of fear or worry at all. "Not good. I just went to the hotel he was staying in, but he's not there. The receptionist said he hasn't checked out. I asked around; some of the guests who stayed in the rooms near the Governor's didn't hear or see anything strange. One man staying in a hotel room nearby, however…He told me that he saw three strange men approach the Governor's hotel room at night. He said the Governor left with them. This was at night, about half ten. The Governor never returned."

"When was this?"

"A few days ago."

"What does this mean?" The Chaplain replied, and he blanched slightly as he swallowed a growing lump in his throat down, "Who would do such a thing?"

"I don't know. A witness told me he was taken away by a group of men." Reborn replied. "I've called Iemitsu already to arrange a search, as well as some of the Governor's associates - Coyote has also organised his own search."

"I suppose we can do with all the help we can get – even if it's from another Governor of another Reformatory…"

"We have contacted the man who was meant to intercept the Mosca."

"…I suppose an _external_ party knew about the meeting too. But… That cannot be. The information was classified as confidential. There is no way it could have leaked out. Unless…It was someone from **here**? No, it can't be. No-one would dare to do such a thing – we must speak in person. Where are you now, Reborn-san?"

"Not too far from here. The Mosca unit is to be collected and returned to the Melone Reformatory as soon as possible; I have already contacted Hibari-san about the incidence."

"And what was - Oh, wait, I have an incoming call." He put the Deputy on hold and activated the other line, then promptly realised it was the Warden's phone number. "Hello? …Hibari-san?"

"Simora." said the voice, a little impatiently. "All the cellmates are Mist users."

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"The victims. The ones who 'committed suicides'. Their cellmates are all of the Mist attribute. This morning, when that prisoner was found dying, his Cellmate used a Mist ringbox on him."

"What?" Simora barked, "Where are they getting the ringboxes from?"

"The problem is to find out who is acting on behalf of Byakuran. Time is running out. I need your approval."

"What for…?"

"A new policy. I will have my men monitor each and every single block. The one who killed Scarlet will not be let away so easily." Hibari replied, "The death of an officer will never be in vain."

"Hibari-san…"

"Your approval is essential, Simora."

It was then he realised he wasn't sure of the Warden's intentions, but had no choice but to offer consent to it regardless. "Very well." He responded, "You can send the documentation for me to stamp later. I wish you luck, Hibari-san."

* * *

There was more Hibari in this chapter than I had originally planned!

I hoped you enjoyed it though, and please review; there are many people favouriting this fic but I would really like to see more feedback - whether it's about where this story is heading, or if there is anything that could be improved on. Your help/support will be greatly appreciated!


	15. Your Truth is my False

**Chapter 15**

_Your Truth is My False_

"You called for me, Byakuran-sama?"

He looked up from the fob watch on the desk surface and put down the tweezer, to see Genkishi kneeling down in front of him in the dimly-lit room. "Genki-san. There's no need to be so formal." Byakuran greeted cheerfully as he leant over the worktop to pluck a marshmallow out from its bag, and popped it into his mouth. He lifted up the magnifying eye-glass that was wrapped around his head and dusted his fingers off.

The Commanding Officer rose slowly up from the ground.

Byakuran smiled at him from his throne as he chewed leisurely. "I'm glad you spared some time out of your busy Commanding Officer schedule just to come and see me at me office. But, oh, what to do? What to do now? You have to be more careful, after you killed Scarlet… You've made everyone _angry_. Especially the Warden, that poor man."

"….I apologise for my recklessness."

"My, my, Genki-san, you certainly are in for it this time when they catch you." He smiled wryly back at him, nibbling at his fingertips free of excess sugar.

"Next time I will not be so careless." Genkishi muttered, keeping his eyes trained on the ground, "I did not account for a Correctional Officer to be present that time."

"That's really too bad, Genki-san." Byakuran replied absent-mindedly. He swivelled round in his chair and pulled down the magnifying glass over his eye again and began tampering with the innards of the watch, "Sawada Tsunayoshi truly is a rather hapless young man…It seems he has a knack for stumbling upon unfortunate occurrences. Bad luck follows him around no matter where he goes. Or rather, bad luck finds him."

He got down on his one knee again. "It seems unfitting that he is the successor to Giotto. I will investigate further into that matter if you are doubtful."

"Well, looks can deceive, and I have personally witnessed how worked up Giotto-chan gets over that young man. Tsuna-kun may become a nuisance if he decides to delve into Scarlet any further." He mused, and he looked up, "Genki-san? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"… I was not aware you were a watchmaker, Byakuran-sama." were the only words Genkishi could mutter out.

"Ho ho, I'm not really a watchmaker. An Officer broke his watch and I pitied him, so I kindly offered to fix it for him." Byakuran replied, as he began to screw in a few cogs with the tools that were lying in a small pouch beside him. "It's just a little something I do to pass the time - " He stopped, and looked up.

"…Byakuran-sama?"

The white-haired man suddenly doubled over in uncontrollable laughter. "Hahahaha!" He wiped a single tear from his eye.

Stunned, Genkishi cleared his throat. "Byakuran-sama, if I may…"

"Oh, Genki-san, don't you get it? I just made a funny joke. I do not pass time. Time passes for _me_." He replied, still chortling. "Right… ahahaha… let's get back to serious business now!"

"…I will not fail you, Byakuran-sama. My sacrifices for you will never be in vain."

"It's nice to see someone so dedicated in such a dreadful place like this." Byakuran replied cheerfully as he proceeded to fix the watch, "You must be ecstatic to hear that I have another exciting assignment for you."

He looked up, waiting eagerly for his Master.

"Those prisoners I gave Mist rings to, they've inevitably blown our cover. I already knew this day would come, so I need you to eliminate them, before they ruin everything." He sighed, a little helplessly but still smiling, "These men are imbeciles, after all."

Genkishi nodded sternly. "Yes. I know what to do, Byakuran-sama. Leave it to me." He got up once again and arrived at the door. Suddenly, he broke into a coughing fit, and he slammed his palm over his mouth.

"Ara? The symptoms are acting up again so soon?" Byakuran perked up from his desk as Genkishi froze up in terror.

"I…I need more…"

Byakuran rummaged around in his pockets and protruded out a small, white packet. He tossed it to the Officer. "There you go."

Genkishi caught the packet and quickly emptied out a tablet before swallowing. He thanked his Master profusely, and felt better already, and he wondered if it right of him to question his Master about this… "…Byakuran-sama, back that day at the hospital…What did you do to me? What exactly happened? And… all those years ago, you… have not aged at all."

When Byakuran looked back up, he responded merely with a slender eyebrow raised, yet the officer stiffened under the intense scrutiny. "Must you always question my purposes, Genkishi?"

"Forgive my insolence, Byakuran-sama!" He bent down again, apologising profusely.

With that, Byakuran let out a loud, mirthless laugh. "It's quite alright. I guess I do owe you some form of explanation. You have been so loyal to me for so long after all." He replied, smiling wider as he sat back in his chair comfortably. "….So…You're asking what happened back that day at the hospital? A miracle did, that's what."

**Afterwards…**

"I apologise for the short notice."

Almost immediately, every head in the Commanding Officer's Meeting room craned round to the figure standing in the doorway.

It was the Warden.

Dino blinked blankly at him as he clutched the doorknob limply. "….H-Hibari-san?"

But he was not on the attendance list. He was not even _invited_. He had raided another meeting again – not that this was hardly surprising – the Warden was known to occasionally turn up at any sort of gathering for almost no reason. Immediately, Dr Shamal stuffed his magazine back into his coat. _Anal Rampage_, it said on the cover, _Volume 1_. Fon shoved away his games console up under his shirt. Lanchia quickly switched off his soap opera on his portable music player and whipped off the earphones. Verde was the only new exception in the room today, who had been invited to discuss the rising energy levels experienced in the closed cell blocks. A few other Officers stopped chatting to themselves and turned their attention swiftly back to the front. And Giotto stopped browsing the Meeting's finished minutes and looked up.

The Warden made his way to an Officer in a random seat. "Move." He commanded, "You're in my way."

The Officer stood up hastily and darted to the other side of the room safely.

Hibari Kyouya took the spot and watched them, his eyes scouring each and every one of them, narrowing his eyes in particular at Giotto, who blinked blankly back at him. "…I'm sure you have heard the news."

The meeting had been delayed because the Commanding Officer of N Block had been late. A prisoner had been found dying and they had finally found a suspect. What became of the suspect was unknown, since the Warden took over the interrogation.

"Therefore, I have established a new policy within the Reformatory." Hibari explained, "Effective immediately."

There was a long, harsh stillness in the room, filled with anxiety and apprehension.

He continued. "I have allocated a number of men to monitor the movement in every Cell Block. They will be supervising your every move from now on. You may or may not be able to feel their presence, but I assure you, they will be watching, and I will punish those who I see fit." He said, "Any questions?"

Although, whenever the Warden asked that, no-one _was_ meant to ask a question. However… One meagre Officer in the very back bravely raised his hand up.

Hibari did not even look at him. "Speak."

"May I ask why, Hibari-san?"

His response was almost instantaneous. "You insolent Officers have had it your way far enough. Discretion will not be tolerated anymore; there is no boundary between Prisoner or Officer anymore. You are all under suspicion, and I will dig out each and every one of your dirty secrets. _I will make sure of it_." Hibari growled out, "And neither of you are in any position to raise objections. The Chaplain and the Deputy Governor have approved of the policy already."

He ignored the few startled gasps.

"When your meeting is over, you will return to your Cell Blocks and inform your subordinates about the new regulation."

The Commanding Officers exchanged uneasy glances, but no-one spoke out. Amongst them, Giotto, Verde and Genkishi stiffened slightly in their seats.

"That is all," Hibari finished, smirking at them. And he left the room, leaving a steely silence of dread in his wake.

**D Block.**

"Hey, what's going on?" Yamamoto asked, rubbing at his eyes sleepily. Tsuna went to line up beside his fellow co-workers.

Giotto had returned from his meeting, back to D Block, tired and exhausted. He ordered an informal gathering so Yamamoto, Ryohei and Tsuna now stood stiffly directly in front of him. "…There's been a few… 'new' procedures that are to be put into practise for the rest of the days to come." Giotto explained, remembering what had taken place in the meeting room.

"What kind of procedures, sir?"

"…Surveillance."

Yamamoto threw a glimpse to Tsuna, who looked at Ryohei, who blinked back at Giotto in surprise. "S-Surveillance?"

Their Commanding Officer nodded. "Have you heard the news yet?"

"What news?"

It was then Giotto remembered he was not allowed to tell his subordinates any of these kinds of information, but it didn't to seem to matter anymore. "A prisoner was almost killed. He was saved just in time. A culprit has been caught, so there's no need to be alarmed. And, you know about the Warden's Committee, right? Yes, well… The Warden has assigned a few of his men to watch over every Officer and Block."

"…Uh…E-Every Officer?" Yamamoto stammered out slightly. "But why?"

"I'm not sure, but…" Giotto crossed his arms over his chest, "With Scarlet's unfortunate demise, I think the Warden has decided that it's time to intensify security."

….

Tsuna returned back downstairs to resume his duties whilst Yamamoto returned to the sleeping quarters. Ryohei took the upper level of the Cell Block to patrol. Tsuna leisurely walked around and watched the prisoners; they all seemed to appear oblivious to him.

"Tsunayoshi-kun," A familiar voice called out, and Tsuna turned round, filled with dread. It was Mukuro; not that he was surprised to see the prisoner's smirking face.

"What now, Mukuro?" He demanded tiredly; he vaguely remembered the policy that had just been put into play. "Haven't you heard the news?"

"Kufufu… of course I have." Mukuro replied, "A policy like that won't stop me from coming to you."

"What do you want now?"

Mukuro grabbed his arm and Tsuna stiffened up immediately. "Come with me. I must show you something."

"No thanks – "

However, a new voice entered the atmosphere and both looked to the right. "Hands off the Officer, Mukuro." It was Giotto. And Tsuna brightened up immediately. "Tsunayoshi, I need you. _Come with me_."

"Y-Yes, sir."

Mukuro's eyes lit eye mischievously when he noticed Tsuna's expression, and he swivelled round to face the Commanding Officer who had arrived at the nick of time to prevent another unfortunate accident that would revolve around Tsuna - again. "How am I going to get rid of you once and for all, Officer?"

"I've heard that too many times now, Mukuro. I'd like to see you try." Giotto replied, as he peeled Tsuna out of Mukuro's grip and back to his side. "Tsuna? Are you alright? You look a little pale..."

Tsuna was indeed pale, and had been staring incredulously at Mukuro for the past few minutes. "I'm fine. Let's just go."

Giotto nodded, and escorted the Officer out of the D-Block. Tsuna never looked over his shoulder to Mukuro. "What were you going to talk to me about?"

"Reborn will be arriving soon." Giotto said, "He… may have a surprise for you."

"Oh, right, well, that's hardly surprising," Tsuna then turned to Giotto, ashen-faced. "Back there, Mukuro threatened you."

"He does it every day." Giotto shrugged. "I get used to it."

"B-But what if he-he really does…"

Giotto stopped Tsuna, and walked in front of him. He placed his hands on Tsuna's shoulders firmly. "Tsuna, look at me. I'll be _fine_." With that, Giotto gave him a reassuring smile. "Someone like Rokudo Mukuro won't get to me that easily."

He smiled back, a tad weakly. "Thanks for always…being there for me. But… I depend on you too much. And…And I think Mukuro can see that. I saw it… He's planning something, I think. I don't want anything to happen to you because of me…."

There was a short silence, and Tsuna threw his glance back to the floor, biting on his lip. Giotto let out a soft sigh, then looked around the corridor. It was empty. "Come here, Tsuna." He pulled the younger boy into a corner where the cameras wouldn't be able to see, and brought the younger Officer into a warm embrace. "You're very sensitive to these things, aren't you?"

"…Yes." Tsuna squeaked out.

"It's alright. I'll be here for you." Giotto replied, tightening his hold on him, "I won't let anyone harm you, alright? I promise."

Tsuna remained quiet.

"Tsuna?"

"….Mukuro said something to me."

Immediately, Giotto's expression clouded. "What did he say?"

Tsuna suddenly looked away. _Wait. What am I doing? I-I can't tell Giotto what Mukuro said to me. I…I can't do that to Giotto! _"….It's nothing. Nothing interesting. Just forget what I said."

…..

Reborn's arrival to the Reformatory stimulated good morale within the establishment, despite the fact that news about the missing whereabouts of the Governor as well as the discovery of a dying prisoner sparked fear and anxiety amongst many. He returned to his office and blew away the dust from his nameplate and memo booklet. He wiped at his chair and settled down, gazing around. He had not been here for such a long time, and now that he had returned, he was exalted. Meanwhile, Leon hopped off his hat and began scurrying around the surface of his desk. Reborn sat back in his chair and closed his eyes. His tranquil moment was disturbed when he heard a knock on the door.

"Come in."

The door opened and a man in a labcoat stepped in and cleared his throat. He pushed his glasses further up his nose and scratched at the back of his neck. "Long time no see."

"Verde." Reborn acknowledged, and he gestured him to take a seat.

The scientist shook his head. "That won't be necessary. I'm just here to pass a message."

"A message?"

"Lal Mirch wants to see you."

"Lal Mirch?" Reborn enquired, "…I see." Reborn got up from his chair and picked his hat up, then placed it over his head again. He put his palm down on the table so Leon could hop on. When he was ready, he turned to Verde and nodded. "Let's go."

They left the Office and into the West Division; taking the same elevator used to go to the Laboratory. Once it arrived, they took it down to basement level.

"How is The Hole running?" Reborn asked, as the doors closed and the lift descended. Leon shuddered slightly and curled up tightly into a ball.

Verde looked at the passing levels that were being displayed at the top of the digital panel. "Lal's been doing an excellent job. But… she still has co-operation problems with the Warden. She didn't like the way how he ran things during your absence." He grimaced, rubbing his forehead with his hand. The lift signalled and opened the doors once they had come to the right floor.

"Such as?" Reborn started as they left the lift.

Verde kept up with his pace as they travelled through the dank corridor that was covered in what looked like dried blood and accumulated filth and grit. A fire exit sign was flickering dimly to their right although there was no door or staircase. The ceiling was a mass of broken wires and tiles. "The Committee took over The Hole's operation for a short while." They took a sharp left and entered a large, dark hall. At the very end were two large, steel-enforced doors bolted shut with a security lock beside it. A wheelchair and gurney was lying discarded nearby.

"I understand. I will briefly remind the Warden where his authority rightfully lies." Reborn inputted the combination into the security lock, granting their access. "How is Lal-san?"

"Lal hasn't left her room for a very long time." Verde replied bluntly.

"When was the last time you saw her?"

"I can't remember."

"How was she then?"

"Still old and frail and sickly as ever."

They finally arrived at a platform, overlooking a very, _very_ large opening of space. Maybe the size of ten Olympic-sized pools, with a high curved ceiling, like an enormous train tunnel. Below them, was an abundant of trapdoors. Most of them were closed. Some were open. Someone inside one could be heard screaming. Another was sobbing. One was roaring and yelling out obscenities. The voices echoed. Tending to the 'trapdoors' were hundreds of figures dressed in black, with hoods pulled entirely over their eyes, only exposing their nose and mouths. They were pulling trolleys around and dropping bits of 'food' down the trapdoor through the small entrance hole of the hatch-door before moving on. Some were cleaning them with a hose spraying water at a powerful momentum. On the other side, a random door was open, and a black figure was pulling something out with the use of a pulley.

When the body was lifted out entirely, the black hood Officer checked the pulse. "Dead." He called out to his colleague with a notepad.

The associate, another black hooded figure, nodded, took the body and piled it onto a gurney, which hosted two or three other corpses. "Any more to go to the Incinerator?"

Verde tore his eyes away from the sight. "I don't get how this place works. It just gives me the creeps. And they think the Lab is inhumane." He uttered out under his breath. "Viper dies and this is what is left in his name?"

He was interrupted by a voice. "Ah, Reborn-sama, Verde-sama." A man in a black hood approached them after climbing up from the ladder and the two turned to face him. "Lal-sama is waiting for you. Please follow me."

Verde crossed his arms. "Well, that's me done here. I'm going back to the Lab. Have fun talking to Lal Mirch." He said, before turning back towards the exit.

The black hood turned to Reborn. "This way, Reborn-sama."

He followed.

"Lal-sama hasn't been feeling too good these days, so visiting time has been restricted severely." The black hood replied as he led him away from The Hole and into another corridor. A few right and left turns later, they arrived at the place. It was a large foyer with metal bars in the middle of the centre, separating it into two 'rooms'. In one of the rooms, a lone figure sat silently. "Lal-sama, Reborn-sama is here."

Reborn peered through the bars and the man in black opened the cell door for him and he stepped inside. The only pieces of furniture in the cell were a desk and chair at the very end, a futon was rolled up and stowed in the corner. A woman sat, kneeling at the very end of the room with her back turned to him.

"Lal-san." Reborn called out.

The woman at the far corner lifted her hooded head up, then pulled down her hood, frowning. The right side of her face was horrifically disfigured, with rough and raggedy scars that trailed down to her jaw. The scars impaired the vision of her right eye and she had to squint slightly, before finally shifting round to face her visitor, "…Reborn. Please, have a seat." She then turned to her assistant. "Thank you. You may leave us."

"Hai, Lal-sama." The black hood assistant departed immediately, shutting the door quietly behind him.

Reborn looked at the chair that was offered to him, but opted to take the cushion opposite Lal. "You wanted to see me?"

She nodded this time. "After I heard that you had returned, I just wanted to know if it is time."

"Not yet."

Her expression fell somewhat. "I see."

"I'm sorry." Reborn said quietly, immediately sensing her disappointment, "…Your duties are not quite finished yet. How are the rings?"

She took a while to reply, but then she snorted and turned away, "…Safe, of course."

He responded to her with a nod of his head. "We haven't been able to come across any capable individuals yet."

"What about the new recruit?"

"You heard?"

"Yeah, you'd be surprised how fast news travel, even all the way down here, I - " Before she could finish, she proceeded to cough hoarsely into her sleeve and pulled back after a few seconds, clearing her throat. "Now, where were we?"

Reborn noticed her sleeve was now covered in a dark, red sticky substance. He mentioned to her worriedly, "…Lal-san – "

She waved her hand around dismissively, "I know. It's nothing new. Let's get on with the matters at hand, shall we?" She asked, "So, what's up?"

And Reborn said, "…I need you to unseal the Sky ring for me."

**Later…**

Tsuna was to come with Giotto to meet Reborn during one of his breaks.

They made their way to the training hall, he was surprised to see that the young Warden named Hibari Kyouya was also present, who was already conversing with Reborn. He shifted his gaze to Reborn, who hadn't changed much since his long absence. He was still in his trademark fedora and black suit, with a briefcase standing stiffly beside his polished black shoes, and Tsuna even felt a surge of slight resentment just by staring at his back. He followed Giotto meekly, and they stopped shortly at the centre of the hall. He felt that he should not speak unless he was allowed to.

"Reborn, Hibari." Giotto acknowledged; in response, the two ceased their conversation and turned round to face the two newcomers.

When Hibari merely crossed his arms and averted his eyes away from the Commanding Officer, Reborn smiled lightly; he looked tired and weary; but this wasn't surprising since he had been travelling quite a bit, from what Tsuna had heard. "Giotto. It's good to see you." They shook hands firmly. "Have you heard the news?"

"Yes. I have brought Tsunayoshi with me as you have requested."

Reborn glanced up at Tsuna, who peered down at him inquisitively. It was an odd sensation. "Thank you, Giotto. Tsuna, come over here so I can get a better look at you."

Tsuna stiffened when he met the Warden's eyes as he passed him to walk over to Reborn. He did not stop looking at him even when he stopped shortly in front of his tutor, who inspected him carefully. Suddenly, the Warden's eye twitched slightly and Tsuna gulped down, immediately breaking eye contact to face Reborn again. "How's your mother doing?" His tutor asked.

"She's fine." Tsuna stumbled out.

"Your father?"

Immediately, Tsuna stiffened, "I don't know." He mumbled sourly, "He hasn't been home for a long time. Reborn, I've also been meaning to ask why you sent me here exactly…?"

However, his tutor held up his hand for him to speak no more, "Tsuna, I cannot answer that at the moment. Right now, I wish to talk to you today about training."

Upon hearing that, Tsuna promptly could not believe his ears. "What? You just come back and you're already going to prepare me for 'training'?"

"What were you expecting? A 'welcome back' feast and a hug?" Reborn snapped back acutely, and although his tone did not hold any anger or irritation, it was still enough to make the young Officer cringe at the words of his brutal integrity. The worse was that there would be more to come from now on, now that Reborn was back – probably for good. "In fact, I want you all to pay attention to what I have to say to you all."

Tsuna, Giotto and Hibari watched Reborn silently, if not enquiringly. Knowing that he had captured everyone's attention, bearing fact to mind that Tsuna's attention span was relatively short-lived, Reborn decided to say this quick.

"The reason I have called you all today is because Timoteo, our Governor, has gone missing." He stated out loud, "He was last seen a few days ago, around ten o'clock at night. A few witnesses say three men in suits came to his hotel room; they were described as just average men, and there were no signs of struggle - the Governor went with them willingly. I can only suspect these suspicious men of antagonistic nature because the Governor was on his way back here, and if someone had wanted to see him, he would've told us by now, and either Simora or I, would've received prior notice."

Tsuna was slightly confused, and uttered out a meek "_Why?_"

"Why?" Reborn retorted, "Because we are Timoteo's representatives, that is why. No-one gets to talk or see the Governor unless they speak to us first." He spoke very sternly, his eyebrows furrowing tightly, "We have heard nothing from Timoteo since his disappearance."

The Warden was next to voice his opinion. "…..Any leads on the identities of the suspicious men?"

Tsuna was comparatively surprised to have heard the Warden speak since they had all gathered, and Reborn replied, "We have a group of experts who are investigating that at the moment. I have spoken to one witness, but his testimony wasn't exactly useful."

"Without the Governor here," Reborn continued, "…it is astounding as to how vulnerable the Reformatory."

"Vulnerable?" Tsuna squawked out in shock, "How are we…'vulnerable'?"

Reborn did not decide to add further comment to that. Instead, he chose to pinpoint his consideration at the rings on Giotto's and Hibari's fingers, and said, "Giotto, Hibari... You two must start training again to protect the Reformatory against…well, whatever we may be up against. I will begin to assign certain Officers to become _Guardians_."

"Guardians?" came Giotto's startled response. "But…"

"It cannot be helped. This is very serious, Giotto-san. Hibari, you are now the Official Cloud Guardian."

The Warden did not look surprised; all he did was exchange a blunt nod of acknowledgement.

"And Giotto, you are to reprise your role as the Sky Guardian."

Tsuna stepped in immediately and pointed to himself, "…What about me, Reborn?"

"You will find out yourself soon, Tsuna. Now, I wish to move back to Hibari and Giotto - " Reborn abruptly stopped when the Warden began to walk away from the group.

"Hibari-san!" Giotto called after him, "Where are you going?"

"I know where this is headed." Hibari said out loud, his tone was strained and tired, and he slipped a small trinket box over his ring. From his sleeve, he revealed his pair of collapsible steel tonfa which Tsuna had now grown to quake with fear by the mere sight. Immediately, a purple flame engulfed his tonfa after he had slotted his ring in. "_**Ladies first**_." He added, with a handsome smirk.

Giotto turned to Reborn a little cautiously, who nodded. Tsuna had no idea what was going on. But then, Giotto grinned helplessly. "Then I will go after you." He went to another side of the room, pulling out a pair of gloves from his pockets with an 'I' symbol on them. Hibari frowned in response, and Tsuna gawped a little.

"What's going on?" He asked.

"Leave them be, Tsuna. They know what they are doing." Reborn guided Tsuna further away and sat him down at a bench just as Hibari and Giotto started their training session. "Now, you are probably wondering how this applies to you. Well, let me explain it to you…Due to the… adverse conditions of our Reformatory, I need to make sure you are adequately prepared for imminent shortcomings. I need to make sure you are ready."

Tsuna wasn't entirely listening; instead, he was watching Giotto and Hibari lunge at each other's throats with much interest. "Ready for what? And what are those purple flames coming from the Warden's tonfa? Why is he not catching fire? And why – "

Reborn irately replied, "Focus! I really need you to concentrate on what will happen over the next few days!" He had then slapped him on the head to catch his undivided attention. Tsuna blushed and apologised profusely, and Reborn glanced at Giotto, who was blocking an attack from Hibari's tonfa with his I-Gloves, and back to Tsuna.

"…Giotto-san said you had something for me…?"

"Yes, I do." Reborn knelt down to retrieve his suitcase, and opened it, then protruded out a few rings, followed by the corresponding number of small trinket boxes from a pocket inside the lining of the suitcase.

He handed the pile of rings and boxes both to Tsuna. "This is…"

"These are rings and ringboxes of all attributes - " Reborn replied with a light smile, noticing Tsuna's almost childish-like awe towards the ring and box in his palm, "I want you to find out which attribute you are, and start learning how to use ringboxes. Giotto has explained how ringboxes work, right?"

Tsuna nodded as he sorted them thoroughly, matched the rings to their boxes, and left the sky attribute ring and box for last and tried all the others first. Unfortunately, none of them worked. He had been starting to wonder if there was something wrong with him, too. But then he went to the last box, and he prayed in his heart that he could use it. He didn't know why, just something inside him wanted to do something right for a change. If other people could use rings, why could him? So when he went through the sun, then the rain, and the thunder, the rain, the storm and the cloud and mist, and none of them yielded to him, he began to feel No Good again. Now he was slightly worried about using this sky ring. What if it rejected him, too? Did that make him incompetent all over again?

"But I thought we aren't allowed ringboxes." Tsuna said out loud, when he slotted the sky ring into his finger nervously.

"Drastic proceedings call for drastic measures, Tsuna." Reborn replied, handing him the ringbox. "Try it."

Tsuna looked doubtful. "Wait – "

And Reborn sighed.

"…Tell me why you told me to come here?"

"I didn't."

"Yes, you did!"

"No. You did." Reborn remarked brusquely, "…You came here on your own accord."

Tsuna was fighting back his growing anger towards his acquaintance whom he had seemed to have grown accustomed to love and hate at the same time. "….Fine._** I**_ came here, on _**your**_ recommendation. Why?"

"Because you're weedy and clingy. This place will toughen you up, Tsuna."

"That's not it." He replied, although he had felt his dignity and pride being relentlessly torn to pieces by Reborn again and again. "That's not the real reason."

"You _**know**_ what the real reason is, Tsuna."

"No, I don't. Tell me, Reborn, please."

Reborn sighed again. Usually he could refuse the boy no problem, but his persistence always got to him no matter what, and Reborn said, "…Your father would be very proud of you. Now put the ring on. I already answered your question."

He had at least upheld his own end of the bargain, Tsuna looked down at the ring in his palm. He had such negative suspicions and presumptions towards it, that it would result in nothing but bad news and maybe Tsuna getting a broken leg at the end of the day. _But…here goes nothing_, Tsuna thought glumly, realising that he really had nothing to lose as he swallowed a growing lump in his throat down. He fitted the box in as Reborn showed him before, and waited.

_Nothing's happening. I knew it, I'm just - _

When a bright flame burst from nowhere, Tsuna cried out in alarm and fell backwards off the bench, staring wide-eyed at the flame emitting from his ring. He waved his hand up and down, but the flame did not die down. Instead, it grew stronger. His jaw dropped to the floor, as Reborn's expression promptly lit up. Tsuna tried blowing out the flame, too, but nothing happened. It just licked and flickered around his finger painlessly. Next, he then wondered why he wasn't scalded yet, and swallowed down yet again, before slowly reaching forward a hand to the flame.

"Don't touch it."

Tsuna immediately pulled back at his request. "E-Eh? Reborn…"

Reborn leaned closer and inspected the flame thoroughly, then pulled back with a smile. "That's very good news…" Seeing Tsuna's shocked response, he continued, "Sky flames can open all boxes of the attributes, you know." Reborn replied, as Tsuna stared at the flickering flame emitting from the ring around his finger. He really was stunned to see that he wasn't burning yet, and promptly waited for the rest of him to go up in flames, too. Reborn turned to Giotto and Hibari, who were still sparring for the moment. "Giotto!" Reborn called out.

The two men stopped their training, then Giotto glanced over to Hibari, who nodded. Giotto pulled off his ring and his I-Gloves, and made his way to Tsuna and Reborn, followed shortly by Hibari.

"Giotto, look." Reborn gestured to Tsuna's flaming hand.

"….That's…" Giotto looked just as stunned as Tsuna did. Tsuna felt slightly embarrassed and looked at his hand with the ring. Why wasn't the flame going away yet?

"It's just as I thought." Reborn said, "Tsuna can wield sky flames, just like you, Giotto."

Hibari and Giotto inspected him keenly, while Tsuna merely blushed and shifted his gaze to the side, uncomfortable with the attention on him all of a sudden. Hibari's eyes narrowed.

_A sky wielder….Interesting…_

And Giotto said, "…I have an idea." And then he looked down at his I-Gloves. "…Tsuna, give me your hands."

Reborn watched Tsuna slowly stretch his arms out to the Commanding Officer, who gently slid on his I-Gloves over Tsuna's small hands. When he let go, Tsuna gawked dumbly at the large gloves over his hands, and looked back up. "…What's going on?"

When the Commanding Officer and Reborn exchanged glances, it seemed he understood, and Reborn said, "Giotto, you're not thinking of – "

"I am." Giotto then replied proudly, and he turned back to Tsuna, and held his hands tightly. "…Tsuna, I have a proposal for you. I want to teach you how to use the I-Gloves."

"_**What**_?" Tsuna shrieked out, "…But why? Why all this? Why are you all preparing me? I mean, sure, training, but… the ringbox and the… the gloves? This seems all….so much. I…I don't know what to think – why is this happening? Are you going to ship me off to fight in the army?"

He was awarded for his 'intelligent' answer with a slap over the head. Reborn said, "You have been chosen to become the next Commanding Officer of D-Block, Tsuna. Didn't Giotto also explain that to you?"

There was a long silence.

Tsuna turned to look at Giotto in muted shock. Words could not even seem to describe his astonishment. The silence persisted, and for once, Giotto felt ill-equipped for this situation. And all the Commanding Officer could do was apologise, "I'm sorry, Tsuna. I was going to tell you once I figured you were ready."

"No…" Tsuna proceeded to murmur out unfocusedly, "I…I don't want to be a Commanding officer. I'm-I'm not – "

"That's too bad." Reborn then said, "I'm sorry, Tsuna. But you can't back down from this position. It has already been decided. It's only for the best. Once Giotto becomes Governor, he needs someone to fill his position."

Tsuna was now assaulted with a mixture of bewilderment, and slight dread. He did not want to be a Commanding Officer. And he was shocked that Giotto hadn't told him. And Giotto was going to become Governor? But as he stared back into Giotto's eyes, he could not make himself feel anger or frustration towards the man for placing him in this position, and instead, he swallowed down, and shook his head.

"No… NO! No-one decides what's best for me except myself!"

Without another word after his outburst, Tsuna pulled off the rings and threw them down, before pushing himself up from his seat, and he ran out of the training hall, ignoring Giotto calling after him.

…..

Training was cancelled.

Giotto left dejectedly, and made his way to the visitor's centre. He arrived at the far end wall, moved away from the photo with the Guardians, and towards where the photograph of his first day of work was framed. He let his eyes wander over everyone's faces. It brought a wave of nostalgia to his senses.

His eyes strayed to a particular man, with short red hair and a distinct tattoo embedded over a side of his face, who was seemingly glowering back at the camera. He sighed again and looked down.

_G… This is the first time I've felt so disoriented. _

…_What would you do if you were in my position?_

* * *

Thankies for the reviews. I'm very happy :D And I'm glad people like where I am going with the characters and the story :)

Next chapter is all about Giotto and the First Guardians! Yay!


	16. AUTHOR'S APOLOGY

Dear Readers,

I would like to sincerely apologise to all my readers and subscribers because I no longer have the ability to continue writing this story; I have no excuse for my lack of update and do not wish to prolong anything any further.

I have been unfair to you all and I think it is time I wrote a note of apology. I have not been able to write this story. I have not been active in the KHR board at all; I haven't been going through the board, reading stories or reviewing and I have not been keeping up to date with manga or anime either. It has been at least two years (or more) since my last update and my time spent attempting to write Homecoming has been rather awkward. I found the inspiration to write the plot summary and come up with elaborate, detailed character profiles and their roles in the story and what I want them to be in the story easy, but in the end, I have been unable to write the full thing. None of my results have been productive.

However, should anyone wishes to pick up where I left off, they are most welcome to, or if anyone is curious what I had in mind for this fic, then I will gladly explain some of the events of the story in another author's note.

Furthermore, anyone thinking of writing a KHR prison fic or is in progress of writing one, I highly encourage you so.

I wish to thank everyone for all the support you have shown me and this fic, and once again, I deeply apologise (also...this is my first time writing a note of apology, it is very awkward. I apologise for that too).

- All the best, Fish and Chips


	17. PLOT SUMMARY AND EXPLANATIONS

**Plot summary/explanations**

Dear Readers,

I've been giving up on most of my psychologically wounding, dark and mind-boggling stories and writing out the plot summaries these days. I have no idea where these plot bunnies come from, but in the end, they all stop hopping around and fall over to the side, stiff and limp and not hopping, and here I am left to mourn by writing excruciating long and detailed sections about my story which is now RIP!

Furthermore, from what I have written, Homecoming belongs to the science-fiction and supernatural genre that spanned up from the Varia to the Future Arc. It was an alternate take on the canon of KHR - ie, things that happen in the manga also happen in this story, but based in a prison setting and entirely different circumstances, such as differences as to how Tsuna will meet his family and defeat enemies.

Anyway, here is the plot summary and explanations of characters/events starting with the First Riot. I'll just get it over with and let you get on with your lives.

* * *

**First ****riot** _(the __Varia)_

From where I left off in Chapter 15, I was building up towards the first riot - Timoteo has been kidnapped by a group of men from his hotel room. When Reborn goes to investigate, he is deliberately led astray by a man named Zakuro who is actually one of Byakuran's outside men, along with Bluebell and Kikyou. They are the ones who kidnapped Timoteo indirectly. Back in the reformatory, and Byakuran lies to Xanxus that the successor to the Reformatory is the Correctional Officer Tsuna thus enraging Xanxus that Timoteo has put a weakling in charge. Byakuran also tells him he has successfully managed to kidnap Timoteo and has hidden him into a Gola Mosca robot, which is then to be shipped to the Reformatory. Their plan is to let Timoteo destroy his own reformatory unwittingly.

Meanwhile, Tsuna continues to investigate with Mukuro's help from their bargain while meeting a new inmate, a 15 year old Lambo who is only here for temporary to await trial results and will transfer to a juvenile reformatory (poor Lambo xDD). Tsuna also begins training with Giotto's I-Gloves which becomes the X-Gloves and finds out Genkishi was the cause of Scarlet's death from clues left behind by eccentric prisoner Irie Shouichi who is obsessed with Cell Blocks U, V and W, the off-limit cells. They find out that Genkishi was a victim of the Plague and thought to be terminal, but came back healthy and well. Although they are unsure how this came to be, they also find out Genkishi had also been smuggling rings in ever since he became the Commanding Officer of L Block during Byakuran's stay. Scarlet found out what Genkishi was doing and was murdered before he could tell, but it was made to look like a suicide. Genkishi is then taken into solitary confinement but the harm is already done.

Every prisoner is rounded up for confrontation and a search is conducted but the confusion stirs up a riot since all the prisoners are out of their cells and they all now have rings distributed by the Varia and Genkishi. The riot is further reinforced when Genkishi attempts to escape but is apprehended by the Warden (analogous to manga/anime chapter where Hibari vs Genkishi except Hibari defeats Genkishi in his TYL form, no swapping with TYB). With the first step of rioting already in play, Xanxus sics out the Gola Mosca with Timoteo trapped inside which destroys D Block (again I have yet no idea how this would happen exactly). A fight breaks out – Yamamoto vs Squalo, Ryohei vs Lussuria, Lambo vs Levi-A-Than, Gokudera vs Bel.

Giotto is supposed to die protecting Tsuna who was being targeted by Mosca. Tsuna then manages to defeat Mosca with the X-Gloves and Timoteo is finally discovered to have been trapped within the robot all along.

D-Block is destroyed so the prisoners are split up into different blocks. Xanxus is put into The Hole again. Tsuna is arrested for what he has unwittingly done to the Governor despite the fact that he only wanted to stop the Gola Mosca, and he is put into jail while Reborn contemplates lifting the ban off ringbox use. Mukuro, Gokudera, Lambo and Tsuna are put into a Block together with Yamamoto and Ryohei supervising a separate block. Tsuna is overcome with disbelief that he is in jail himself and becomes depressed, but the incarceration helps Gokudera and Tsuna become closer, and they form a temporary alliance group to watch each other's backs while the situation of the reformatory worsens – Tsuna, Lambo, Mukuro, Gokudera, along with Yamamoto and Ryohei.

With the death of Timoteo and a Commanding officer, the reformatory is thrown into utter chaos. Hibari, Simora and Reborn try to get everything back to working order. During Tsuna's awaiting trial, he starts getting closer to Mukuro and even Byakuran. Also, Lal Mirch is visited by Nagi who warns her that she must not remove the Mammon chains off the rings for anyone or else they would be detected by outsiders, such as Zakuro.

* * *

**Second ****riot** _(Funeral __Wreaths __vs __Vongola __and __the __Varia)_

Xanxus riots again when he is finally let out, and finally finds out that the successor was not Tsuna, but in fact, Giotto. This time, he stirs up a fight against Byakuran who has prepared enough to reach his goals which turns out is to steal the Vongola rings from the reformatory for world domination because the Vongola rings were apparently considered easier to be taken in this world compared to other worlds.

It is finally revealed that Byakuran already has knowledge of parallel worlds, and is making his way towards Cell Block W.

Cell Block W is in fact, a gateway to another world. Here is where things get complicated - It is a position on earth that links the many parallel worlds together in one reality (ie, Homecoming world) although there are also other portals in other worlds too. This explains why people have heard many strange things or experienced odd occurrences in or near the cell block, such as seeing the 'ghosts' of those who are not alive or should not be here, or 'hearing voices', making it appear haunted. The energy at Cell Block W is the same energy in the Reformatory itself that makes the reformatory an inaccessible place (ie, have no proper address, telephones don't work etc).

Byakuran has been converting prisoners to his side to help him when the time requires it and has outside parties ready to assist him (the Funeral Wreaths). Also, he plans to escape to the KHR world once he has the rings. And if he escapes, then this world would be destroyed.

Thus, the world of Homecoming is revealed to be an alternate rendition of the KHR world we know, but Tsuna has not the chance to meet Yamamoto and Gokudera etc back at school when he was a teenager but rather as an adult, and in a reformatory nonetheless. However, events have led him to walk down the same path he will in KHR (ie, become the boss of Vongola, fight Gola Mosca, Xanxus etc).

With the prisoners he managed to convert to go onto his side (those that opposed him were killed which explains the 'suicides') as well as the circulation and smuggling of rings that were distributed by the Varia (and Genkishi), Byakuran escapes from his cell and a second riot breaks out. Irie is discovered to be an undercover Commanding Officer who was dispatched to get close to Byakuran when he successfully stops a Mosca from attacking staff.

An evacuation of staff commences – everyone is escorted to the Infirmary for a lock down but Tsuna opts to stay behind to fight and stop Byakuran. Hibari, Yamamoto, Ryohei also want to fight with him, wanting to protect the reformatory. Reborn then takes them down to The Hole only to realise that Lal Mirch has been captured by Genkishi disguised as Verde, having failed in attempting to force Lal Mirch to remove the Mammon chains from the rings. They save her just in time and Genkishi escapes back to Byakuran, but is then killed off seeing his work was 'over' and no being longer needed.

Reborn allocates everyone a guardian title and compliments Gokudera and Lambo's bravery during the previous raid and gives them the Vongola Storm and Thunder rings, knowing where their loyalties lie, although Lambo is slightly unwilling to become the Thunder Guardian. Mukuro is given the Mist ring by Reborn. He explains that different circumstances have brought them to work together – for Mukuro, it is a devotion towards Tsuna and Nagi. For Gokudera, it is a devotion to Yamamoto and vice versa. For Hibari, it is his devotion towards the Melone reformatory that brings him to take down a common enemy. For Tsuna, it is the realisation of know the feeling to take back what has been lost (sort of). However, as the lab is overrun. Nagi is stabbed fatally by a mental prisoner, discovered by Mukuro in time who saves her by 'merging' to become Chrome Dokuro.

But they have reinforcements from Xanxus, who decides to have his vengeance and joins forces with the New Generation Vongola to face off Byakuran who has now escaped to Cell Block W; while the other Guardians try to seal off the gateway which reacts to large amounts of flame energy, at the same time trying to fend off from Byakuran's funeral wreaths who attack from outside. All in all, the events are analogous to the manga, just based on a prison formatting.

* * *

**THE END:**

There were 2 endings to the story (because I couldn't decide) -

**Bad ****End:** Byakuran manages to escape and successfully crosses over to an alternate world and becomes 'Ghost', leading to the destruction of Homecoming world (everyone dies basically). This is really the true canon ending of this story.

**Good ****end:** Byakuran is apprehended in time before escaping via Cell Block W, thus preventing the destruction of Homecoming world. The reformatory collapses anyway and most of the prisoners have been recaptured, whilst some have escaped, and some have perished. Tsuna, Mukuro, Gokudera and Lambo are relinquished of their sentences for their duties to the reformatory. Tsuna becomes the official 'boss' of the New generation of Vongola Guardians and decides to lead the new group of guardians to set off in hopes of finding Byakuran once more who has disappeared.

* * *

And there you have it! The plot bunny of Homecoming. Of course, what do I mean by homecoming? Who does this story refer to? The answer is - Tsuna and Byakuran - Tsuna goes to the reformatory where he meets his destiny coughCHEESEcough, and Byakuran, who wants to escape his current dimension and return 'home'.

Now onto the character and roles, if you are also interested:

* * *

**Characters ****and ****roles:**

* * *

Name: Tsuna

_Correctional officer_

A compassionate young man and son of Iemitsu who investigates underground activity. This is how Iemitsu met Timoteo and Reborn, and when he heard that they were looking for a replacement Officer, suggested his son, Tsuna. With that, Reborn was dispatched to him as his 'tutor' to test his capabilities. When Reborn could see that Tsuna possessed a certain quality within him, he decides to bring Tsuna to the Reformatory.

Homecoming Tsuna is acute to his surroundings, having picked up the energies from Cell Block W, as well as being able to 'communicate' or 'bond' with Rokudo Mukuro to a certain extent. However, he is vulnerable to be led astray from his goals and motives by manipulative forces such as Byakuran.

The first riot was caused by Xanxus; after defeating Timoteo who was discovered to be trapped in the Mosca suit by accident (analogous to canon Varia events), Homecoming Tsuna is arrested and becomes a prisoner, which devastates him. During his incarceration, he grows closer to fellow prisoners Gokudera and Lambo and gains their trust and approval, thus forming their own clique in the Reformatory. Tsuna also becomes close to Mukuro and eventually, Tsuna realises Byakuran is the one pulling the strings the entire time. They go against Byakuran during the final riot. In the good end, he is cleared of charges and becomes the unofficial 'Boss' of the Vongola.

* * *

Name: Giotto

_Commanding Officer_

The first founder of the 'Vongola' family, a family that consists of the Correctional Officers G., Alaude (er...did I spell that right?), Knuckle, Ugetsu, Knuckle, Demon Spade and Lampo. G. was the last Guardian to leave since they were best friends.

Giotto arrived at the Reformatory with his father at the early age of 18, starting as a Correctional Officer. He witnessed the construction of the rings, and was placed into a team of 'Guardians' as their 'Boss', but when his father was attacked by a crazed prisoner, Giotto used the sky ring for the sole purpose of revenge and went after the prisoner. This stirred the Ringbox policy/ban.

With the ringbox policy in play, many of the Guardians left to work elsewhere to establish their own families and lives, and only Giotto remained in the Reformatory, continuing service as Commanding Officer of D-Block, having taken over his father's position. He meets Yamamoto and Ryohei who become his subordinates, and develops a rivalry with Hibari. He also met Mukuro a long time ago, and they developed a mutual understanding. Timoteo soon decided to have Giotto become the Governor after his retirement, therefore Giotto sought out a replacement, which led to Reborn to find Tsuna.

Upon Tsuna's arrival, Giotto decides to train Tsuna to use his I-Gloves, which Tsuna learns to use to become the 'X-Gloves'. He shares a strong bond with him and tells one day that he had been dedicating his entire life to his work that he has often forgotten what it was like to settle down and have a family. Tsuna encourages him to start another one, and Giotto tells him that Tsuna is already part of his family.

However, when Xanxus sics the Mosca, Giotto gives his life to protect Tsuna.

* * *

Name: Reborn

_Deputy Warden_

An ageless character who has served by Timoteo's side for a long time as Deputy. It is believed that he is one of the founders of Melone Reformatory. He has two forms – one where he is in the form of a baby, and the other where he is in the form as a young adult (a form he took on in the past, and when he is outside the reformatory). He is very protective of the Reformatory and also an excellent judge of character. Despite his negative reinforcement, he is faithful in Tsuna's capabilities, and continues to be Tsuna's tutor. Apparently, he also tutored Dino at some point. He guides Tsuna to save the reformatory.

* * *

Name: Byakuran of the Millefiore/Ghost

An ageless character. Byakuran is a time traveller who claims that 'time passes for him'. Just like in the manga, he is an omniscient being in this story, since his knowledge of parallel worlds was awakened by an alternate Irie Shouichi, the first researcher to have accomplished time travelling. He manipulates Genkishi and many others.

In the Reformatory, his underlying goal is to find the whereabouts of the sealed Vongola rings, complete the Tri-Ni-Sette, and find the gateway to the other dimension, which he discovers to be Cell Block W. He lives prison life as a watchmaker, with a fondness for sweet things and flowers. Before he arrived at the prison, he was the boss of the Gesso but deliberately turned himself in to find the rings easier, having trying to annihilate the arcobaleno and other families. Years ago, he had met and healed Genkishi beforehand and had enlisted his help.

Byakuran has knowledge of his parallel lives. He noticed that many parallel worlds are almost identical, in which people will meet each other in different ways but will always have a connection to one another in many ways, as exhibited by Tsuna and Mukuro etc. He is in par with the parallel world of the KHR universe and realises Homecoming world is almost identical, but the rings are easier to retrieve because there are no Guardians protecting them, some of the Guardians are prisoners, and the mafia world is much more scattered.

In the good end, he is defeated but still escapes because of Tsuna's nature. In the bad end, he becomes Ghost and destroys Homecoming world.

* * *

Name: Rokudo Mukuro

A prisoner who arrived at the age of 15, Mukuro was first incarcerated in W-Block, but was relocated to L-Block after the plague, before finally moving to D-Block.

He has been imprisoned for 10 years, being a long resident of the Reformatory alongside Xanxus. He came from the Estraneo family, who experimented on him and gave him the eye with the power of the Six Paths of Reincarnation. With this power, he developed psychic ability but was able to see the past and present. However, he was driven mad and slaughtered his family, before attempting world domination. When he was convicted, he was further treated like a guinea pig and experimented by the scientists, occasionally being pulled out of his cells to be tested on. During his time active, he met Giotto, and may or may not have been the one who took control over the crazy prisoner who killed his father.

Relationship with Nagi/Chrome: He met Nagi during his recent stay at the lab, where his mind was active but the rest of his body was inactive. He occasionally 'went on walks' and quietly foresaw events that were to happen to the reformatory, including the riot(s) and Tsuna's arrival, who would inevitably cause his premature revival. He used Nagi, the assistant researcher, and managed to persuade her to believe in him by accurately predicting information about her. He told her that man who looked like Giotto would come to revive him. Nagi came to believe that was Tsuna when she met him. When Nagi was attacked, he also saved her and gave her illusions to make up for her damaged organs.

Fran is one of his associates, along with Ken and Chikusa, but they are distributed in various blocks. In the good end, he becomes the Mist Guardian and continues to help Tsuna.

* * *

Name: Hibari Kyouya

_Warden_

Hibari arrived at the Reformatory at the age of 18 by request. He came from a small section of Namimori, having established a reputation of being a feared leader of strong power and will. Basically, Reborn came to him one day and asked him if he would like to be in a place where he could discipline herbivores for the rest of his life. He said yes.

His mentor was Dino, who then took him to the Reformatory where he officially worked under Alaude, the former Warden. Hibari surpassed many and was entitled the Warden when Alaude left. Kusakabe Tetsuya was his hand-picked Deputy, and they formed an unofficial group called the 'Committee', a group of delinquent officers who often killed prisoners without consent. Timoteo also entrusted him with the cloud ring, understanding that despite Hibari's methodology when handling prisoners, understands that it is for the best for the reformatory. He is also a workaholic.

In the good end, Hibari also helps Tsuna but is more loyal to the reformatory.

* * *

Name: Lal Mirch

The current Commanding officer of The Hole; she has been forced to live underground because of a mysterious radiation in the sky and has never left her holding cell nor has she delegated or supervised her subordinates even though they demonstrate a fierce loyalty and respect for her, which is evident when they are all slaughtered trying to protect her during the final riot. The Hole is different compared to other Cell Blocks, because the Officers all seem to share and operate on a Hive-like mind.

After Viper's death, she took over The Hole and is currently the only living individual who can remove the Mammon chains off the sealed Vongola rings. Since Timoteo got involved in the Gola Mosca accident, she is tasked with guarding them 24/7.

During the raid, The Hole is also one of the places overrun where the remaining officers are slaughtered/forced into The Hole(s). She is threatened and tortured to remove the chains but refuses, and is saved by Tsuna and Reborn in time. Lal is then reconstructed by Verde, who looks after her during the restoration of the Melone Reformatory.

* * *

Name: Yamamoto Takeshi

Correctional officer. Works under Giotto and along with Ryohei. He is Gokudera's friend and looks out for him. He becomes the Rain guardian and fights against Squalo during the first riot.

* * *

Name: Gokudera Hayato

_Prisoner __No.__80592D._

He is to spend 17 years in Melone, having already served 7. His sentence was increased by 2 years, courtesy of Hibari. Up for parole in 3. He later becomes an ally of Tsuna during his incarceration, and becomes the unofficial holder of the Storm ring. During the first riot, he fights Bel.

* * *

Name: Ryohei Sasagawa

Correctional Officer. He is a good friend to Tsuna and becomes the Sun Guardian, facing off against Lussuria.

* * *

Name: Nagi/Chrome Dukuro

A young and naive research assistant who works under Verde, the Head Scientist of the Lab. She was allocated to observe Mukuro during one of his stays at the lab (where he was frozen) and after months of observation, she became obsessed with him. Mukuro decided to take advantage of this and use her; during one of his 'walks', he appeared to her and managed to persuade her of his power. Seeing how infatuated and utterly devout Nagi was, he then told her a Giotto-lookalike would come in the future and be able to free him from his prison but she would need to help. Nagi agreed, and when Tsuna arrived, they put the plan into action.

Mukuro's plan to escape failed, of course, and when Nagi goes to visit him, he is far from affectionate towards her, telling her that he had seen her death. It does come true - when the Riot takes place in the Reformatory, the Lab is overrun and Nagi is stabbed by a mental prisoner and left to die. However, Mukuro saves her by infusing her with some of his power and she becomes Chrome Dukuro.

* * *

Name: Lambo

Lambo didn't appear yet, but he was supposed to be a cowardly juvenile prisoner who was at the Reformatory awaiting transferral. He hung around with Tsuna and Gokudera during their incarceration, despite Gokudera's displeasure. Lambo becomes the reluctant Thunder Guardian because they couldn't find anyone else.

* * *

Name: Irie Shouichi

Irie was the first time traveller in an alternate dimension. In Homecoming world, he is an undercover Commanding Officer in charge of the Melone Reformatory's maintenance and operations, sent by Reborn to keep an eye on Byakuran. Although Byakuran knew already that Irie was a spy, he played along deliberately.

During the final riot, Irie returned to his normal position and duties as a Correctional Officer and re-arranged the Reformatory's 'Blocks', much like in the manga, to prevent the escape of prisoners. At the same time, it was at an expense as he also inconvenienced Tsuna and the others in their pursuit of Byakuran.

* * *

Name: Genkishi

He was an officer who met a parallel Byakuran during hospitalisation - he had fallen ill during the Great Plague of Cell Block W and had given up hope on life and was angry that his life was going to be taken away. Byakuran completely healed him and Genkishi made a full recovery. Genkishi was implanted with the fact that Byakuran was God, and he later found out that Byakuran had arrived at the Reformatory and didn't believe that Byakuran was a Mafioso. He pledged his allegiance to him to help Byakuran out – at first, he had wanted to help him escape, but ended up aiding him in his search for the rings.

* * *

Other:

Hmm, I'm not sure if I've missed anything. The major characters were of course Tsuna, Mukuro and Byakuran, I would say. I was hoping the story to be All27 but it was really difficult so it actually settled for 6927 or 10027 because Mukuro and Byakuran seemed so compatible with Tsuna in this fic. Anyway, I hope you're not too confused. If anything does come up, I'll put it up in my blog, which is accessible via my HOMEPAGE.

Soooo, I want to thank you all again for reading, and if you read all this too, then thank you for sparing the time, and once again, RIP Homecoming -sniff- (again, this is the first time I am posting a final note for a story that never got to be, so this is incredibly awkward)

- All the best, Fish and Chips


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